


Fearfully and Imperfectly Made

by deliriumbubbles



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst, Dark fic, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mpreg, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Violence, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2020-05-16 23:06:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 72,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19327945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deliriumbubbles/pseuds/deliriumbubbles
Summary: Six months after Lucifer returns to rule Hell, Chloe and Dan visit Lucifer's loft and find someone they believe to be Lucifer. He's badly wounded, but before Chloe can figure out what is going on, he disappears. Soon, there are reports of an angel moving through L.A. performing miracles. Believing that Lucifer's injuries have impaired his judgement, Chloe along with the others rush to find him before the city finds out the truth about Heaven and Hell... Or Lucifer accidentally destroys it.





	1. Breakdown, Shakedown

**Author's Note:**

> This plot is in part based on comic canon events that are frankly, messed up. Don't come at me. Come at Vertigo.

“It should be in here.”

 

Chloe’s voice, though steady, was a lie. It was strange to be up here. Lights out, furniture covered, no sounds of the club thumping through the floor. It was like the loft apartment didn’t truly, properly exist when Lucifer wasn’t in it.

 

“And he’s still not answering?” Dan ran a finger along the edge of Lucifer’s personal bar, trailing a line through six months of dust. “Even for him—“

 

“I _know_ ,” Chloe shot back as she pulled on a pair of latex gloves. “Let’s just find it and _go_. The sooner you get into Delucca’s club, the sooner we can figure out who was on Bharti’s tail before he died.”

 

“Are you afraid of leaving prints? I doubt he’s going to care you were here while he was gone.” Dan put his hands on his hips. “There’s zero security on this place.”

 

“Well, there are consequences when you steal from the Devil,” Chloe muttered.

 

Dan chuckled, and Chloe felt her chest growing heavy. She stepped over to the piano, shrouded in heavy white like the rest of the furniture. On impulse, she lifted the sheet and uncovered the keys. Her fingers tapped out a stilted melody.

 

_Heart and soul, I begged to be adored. Lost control, and tumbled overboard, gladly._

_That magic night we kissed, there in the moon mist._

“Hey.” Dan put his hand on her shoulder. “He’ll be back. Whether we like it or not. He’s like a bad penny that way.”

 

Chloe shut the lid and pulled the cover back. “Focus, please. And put on your gloves. It’s not about prints. It’s about hygiene. We need to look through Lucifer’s drawers.”

 

Dan grimaced.

 

“I’ll do the heavy searching, but it’ll go faster with you checking, too.”

 

“What if he put it in the safe?”

 

Chloe shook her head and took the first step up into the bedroom. “Not this. The things he keeps in there… They’re more important. Sentimental, or too dangerous to just chuck. It’s for being careful. _Not_ for VIP passes to elite clubs.”

 

She directed him to a shelf in the corner.

 

“Trixie still goes on about Lucifer’s ‘princess bedroom’,” Dan said.

 

Chloe almost smiled, but then her eyes caught a figure in the dark. Someone curled up among the lush duvet and black sheets. One of Lucifer’s strays, maybe? Came by for a good night, only to find the place deserted?

 

She moved her hand toward the light but froze as she saw something flashing by the head of the bed. Her heart began to pound as she realized the figure was looking straight at her, eyes like twin stars in the dark.  That was no stray lover. It was something not human, possibly something celestial.

 

“Dan, check the bathroom,” Chloe said quietly.

 

“I don’t see how that’s going to be any less disturbing.”

 

“Just go.”

 

Keeping her eyes fixed on the unblinking glow in front of her, Chloe swallowed and put her hand on her gun. It was unlikely to stop whatever this was, but at the very least, she might distract it. The figure shifted away from her, and she flicked on the lights.

 

And her heart dropped into her stomach.

 

Dark blood seeped through a bandage on his forehead over which his hair was roughly and unevenly cut. Deep bruises smeared under both eyes, and one eye swollen nearly shut. Lips split in two places, mottling of old bruises along his neck and jaw, shoulders shaking just from the effort of being upright.

 

It was Lucifer. And he was staring at her with an expression so hollow and blank that Chloe was torn between crying and running over to smack him for leaving when she’d begged him not to. But she couldn’t. He was beat to Hell, probably quite literally, and he blinked at her with an expression somewhere between agony and bafflement as he slipped over the far side of the bed and continued to retreat toward the window.

 

“Don’t go!” Chloe pleaded, reaching out for him.

 

He did still. Confusion seemed to be winning. He licked his lips and seemed to be trying to find the words when Dan appeared, gun raised.

 

“Dan, don’t!” Chloe said. “He’s hurt.”

 

But Lucifer looked nonplussed. He just tilted his head to the side as he blinked at Dan, and the gun, and Chloe.

 

“What the Hell?” Dan lowered his gun and put it away. “I’ll call 911.”

 

“No. I’ve got it.”

 

“ _Look_ at him! He has a concussion. God, if he’s not bleeding to death. You didn’t see that bathroom. It’s like a triage camp collided with a barbershop.’

 

Chloe spared a questioning look for Dan before taking a few experimental steps toward Lucifer.

 

He stepped back. Not afraid, although there was that. It was a guardedness. A seriousness. Then, a low, raspy voice came from him:

 

“Are you with Sandy?”

 

There was something wrong about it. It hit her ears harshly, and Chloe couldn’t place exactly what it was.

 

“We’re just here for your VIP pass to DeLucca’s place,” Dan said. “That’s all. Looks like you’ve had a rough couple of months. We need to get you to a hospital.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I _told me_ to stay put.” He frowned and glanced around the room as though he’d never really seen it before. “Where… Where did I go?”

 

Just then, one of his legs buckled beneath him, and Chloe rushed to his side, half afraid he would fly out the window leaving her with heart-sick worry and questions from Dan. When her arms went around his back to support him, Chloe felt the hot, wet blood through his black silk pajama. She pulled back the collar a bit to see the blood seeping through bandages.

 

Someone had cut off his wings.

 

Trying to catch her breath, remembering too vividly Lucifer nearly bleeding to death in the club below, just from her presence, Chloe steeled herself.

 

“Help me,” she barked. “Get him onto the bed. _Not_ on his back.”

 

Dan hurried over and did as he was told. It took the two of them a minute or two, but Lucifer didn’t struggle. He just watched them curiously. When he was settled back onto the bed, Chloe sat beside him, cataloguing injuries and making a mental list of anyone, or any _thing_ , who might be able to do this. Her knowledge—meticulously gathered from Team Celestials and Pierce’s old files that she had liberated after her month long leave after his death—was far from complete.  Another angel? The demons he’d gone back to Hell to quell? He hadn’t been anywhere near _her_ when this had happened. The choices were limited.

 

When her hand touched his side, he winced and pushed her arm away.

 

“Please…”

 

“I just want to see how hurt you are. What happened to you?” Chloe realized then that Dan was still there, taking all this in. Hopefully, he wouldn’t demand too much from her about her reaction to Lucifer in this state.

 

“The chances that you might find it in you to believe me are infinitesimally small. But… I do appreciate the concern.”

 

“I’d believe you! Do you really think after all this time, I wouldn’t believe you?” Chloe snapped. Slowly, it dawned on her what was so wrong about his voice.

 

His accent had gone completely flat. There was no softness to the Rs, no odd emphasis, no lilting upturn at the end of sentences, with his charming smile. In fact, he hadn’t smiled once.

 

“Whatever happened to you, we’ll get you help, okay?” Chloe promised. “I’ll call your brother right now.”

 

Lucifer frowned. “You know my… brother?”

 

Chloe didn’t know how to react to that. She shook her head dumbly as she looked up at Dan. He pointed to his temple and mouthed the words “Head injury!”

 

Chloe feared worse, though. She’d learned how much faster time passed down in Hell. Six months… Hundreds of thousands of years, for him. How could he possibly remember her after all that time? It was too much to expect.

 

Lucifer curled over on himself, snaking an arm over his middle as he breathed heavily. Chloe bowed over him, touching his face gently, but he jumped at her touch, which only made him wince from his other wounds. So she sat back, at a loss for how to help.

 

Maybe Dan was right. Chloe pulled out her phone.

 

“I’m calling Linda, okay? We need to—“

 

“No one can know that I’m here,” he said. “You should just go.”

 

His eyes burned into her, going first pale green and then a dizzying white. She found herself putting the phone back in her pocket.

 

“You can’t ask me to just leave you here!” she protested.

 

His eyes searched her face with a kind of distant interest. “Why do you want to help me so badly?”

 

Chloe covered her mouth and bit back a scream. At least that part of Lucifer was still the same. That infuriating, incorrigible part of him that _never, ever_ understood that people loved him and worried about him.

 

“Hey,” Dan said. He stood there awkwardly, his eyes moving from Lucifer to Chloe and back again. “Hey, buddy. Do you know who you are?”

 

Lucifer rolled his head back to look at Dan. “I am The Voice. I am The Eyes. I am one half of Destruction-Creation, a fragment of a servant to **The Presence** , held in obeisance forever and ever, amen.”

 

Dan clicked his tongue. “Okay.”

 

“Mm-hm.” Chloe tried to take that all in, but… who had the time to unpack all _that_? Moreover, Lucifer never used those formal terms, even if she did spend the time trying to decode what that was in celestial speak.

 

Whatever had happened to him, whoever had done this—Chloe couldn’t help him by staying by his side. He needed time to heal, and he’d so that so much better and faster if she weren’t there. It pained her, but it was their reality.

 

“All right.” Chloe bobbed her head, trying to convince herself. She got up and went back to work, pawing through the drawers until she found the pass they’d been looking for. “I’m going to get Jenkins to go undercover for this. Can you stay here and just keep an eye on him until I get back?”

 

“You want me to be his babysitter?” Dan rolled his eyes and looked at Lucifer. “I still think we need to get him to a hospital. It looks like his side is bleeding, too.”  


Chloe looked back to Lucifer and wanted more than anything to check his wounds, help him through this. As mad as she was at him for having left her there on the balcony… He was _back_. Somehow. And all she had to do was stay away long enough for him to put himself back together.

 

“Chlo, he could die.”

 

“He won’t. Look, you don’t have to entertain him. Just... be here. I’ll be back soon, or I’ll—“ She wanted to say she’d send someone, but something prevented her.

 

“Got it. Fine. But if he goes into shock, I’m calling an ambulance.”

 

Lucifer was watching them. His eyes were still curious, but thankfully no longer emitting that strange unearthly light. Chloe couldn’t imagine what had changed in him that his eyes had gone from red to white like that. She wondered how much his other form had changed as well.

 

But time was of the essence, and she had some things to figure out before she got back. She leaned over the bed and kissed Lucifer on the forehead, eliciting a spark of softness in his eyes.

 

“I know you, don’t I?”

 

“You do,” Chloe confirmed. “Get some rest. I’ll be back. I promise.”

 

Turning to walk away from him had never been harder.

 

* * *

 

“So we have the same tire tracks here that… Uh… Hey.” Ella leaned to the side and waved.

 

“No, sorry. My mind was somewhere else. You said we got a match?” Chloe stopped biting her thumbnail and straightened her shoulders.

 

“I did, but is there something wrong? You can talk to me,” Ella said. “I know it’s been rough couple of months.”

 

She didn’t say Lucifer’s name. Of course. Chloe had been less than forthcoming about where he’d gone, and eventually, Ella had learned to stop asking. Dan had thought that Lucifer was dead. He’d been pretty confident that someone had put a hit out on Lucifer. Ella had assumed, at first, that he’d be back pretty quickly, and then insisted on a trip to Vegas, just to be sure.

 

But of course, he hadn’t come back. He was a busy man. Running Hell. Protecting the Earth from the demon hordes.

 

“No, I’m fine,” Chloe said. “Keep going.”

 

She was torn, to be honest. She could’ve talked to Amenadiel, gotten him to go set up a vigil with Lucifer while he healed. He was worried, too. Or Linda, who would know how to draw Lucifer out, what to say. Maze and Eve were both out of town, but one or the other would likely come help.

 

Something kept her from picking up her phone again, though. She couldn’t say what it was.

 

Chloe nodded along with Ella, but her mind was beginning to drift again. To the image of blood soaking through bandages on his back, the way he curled his arm around his middle, the wrongness of his voice.  Could he become a different person in such a short amount of time?

 

Well, again, not that short for him. He had been in Hell for longer stretches, though.

 

“Oh, it’s Dan,” Ella said.

 

Chloe half-turned to see Dan practically running in to see them.

 

“We’ve got trouble,” he said immediately.

 

“What, did you just leave him there?” Chloe snapped. “I told you—“

 

“ _He_ was the one who left!”

 

“He could barely _stand_.”

 

“Whaaaat are you guys talking about?” Ella burst out.

 

“Lucifer,” Dan said.

 

Ella’s eyes went round as plates. “For real?” She swatted at Chloe. “You didn’t say anything!”  


“I didn’t know what was going on yet.” The explanation was lame, and she knew it. “Dan, how did you lose him?”

 

“I was in the bathroom—“

 

“Luce snuck out while you were taking a piss?” Ella grinned. “Classic.”

 

“I wasn’t—Look, the place was a huge mess. I was trying to sweep up the torn clothes and cut hair, at least. He didn’t look like he’d be in the mood for housework any time soon. Then I heard a crash and when I walked out, there was a freakin’ _hole in the wall_ , and Lucifer was gone.”

 

“Whoa.” Ella looked to Chloe. “Should we go check it out? Figure out what happened? Wait, was Lucifer hurt really bad?”

 

“I don’t know what we should do, and… yes,” Chloe answered. “Actually, maybe it’s time to get some help.”

 

“I’ll put out a BOLO for Lucifer. If anyone sees him, they can get him to a hospital,” Dan suggested.

 

“No. I was thinking we should do what I _should’ve_ done the moment we found him: Contact the family.” Chloe pulled out her phone and felt, just slightly, another tug. Something telling her to put the phone away.

 

_No one can know that I’m here._

He wasn’t _there_ anymore, though, and Chloe wasn’t the only person who missed him.

 

“Hey, Linda. We found Lucifer… Well, that’s the thing, we also lost him again right away, and he’s very badly hurt. Do you think Amenadiel could get a sitter long enough to help us look for him?”

 

* * *

 

The wound on his right side had reopened. Or it had never closed. He wasn’t sure about that. All he knew was that blood dripped behind him. These nice silk pajamas, despite being black, were probably ruined.

 

The blood hit the pavement as he walked and bloomed prettily into a flower that had never before been seen on Earth. The people passed him on the street, many turning their heads, some stopping to outright stare. He touched his back to be sure that his wings hadn’t returned yet. They had not. But they would.

 

His attention drifted down to the ground, where his flowers grew. Kneeling down, hand holding his side, he brushed his fingers over the red, iridescent petals.

 

“New life… Of _course_ ,” he murmured. “Leaking substances much more precious than vital fluids.”

 

“Excuse me, mister!”

 

He rose to look the human who had addressed him in the eye. The young man, clean-cut and in a suit, held out a pamphlet for him.

 

“We have a shelter not too far from here. What do you say? A bowl of soup a change of clothes? We can even get you an ice pack for that eye,” the young man offered.

 

He looked down at the pamphlet in his hand. “New Life through Christ!” it said.

 

“I actually knew Yeshua, you know. He was a sweet boy. Bit of a temper, but no worse than my brother’s, or my father’s, come to it. **Blessed** , by my father’s choice, but you shouldn’t burden him with changing your life. He had enough burdens in his own.” He looked into the young man’s eyes. “Do you have things in your life you would like to see changed?”

 

“Oh, I work on myself every day. My story’s not that unique. I’m lucky, though. Some people die of their addictions. Me, I just get to spend the rest of my life missing a drug.”

 

“I see. Plenty of people succumb like that, you know. You shouldn’t be ashamed.” He bent over and plucked a flower, then gave it to the young man. “Take this and be well. Never want for that high again. As long as you do good work for others, you are blessed, Dave.”

 

The young man, Dave, looked down at the flower. His shoulders relaxed and his eyes, prematurely lined, softened.

 

“How did you…? Are _you_ Jesus?”

 

He laughed. Hard enough that a pain shot through his side. “Not quite.”

 

“C’mon. Let me get you some proper clothes.”

 

“You don’t owe me anything. You made me smile. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I did that.”

 

Dave offered him a hand. “Just some real clothes. And _shoes_.”

 

“If you insist.”

 

He went along with the young man, who now breathed easier, and he trailed the hand he’d pressed to his side along the wall next to them, making a long arc of flowers following in their wake.

 

* * *

 

Maze had only been back in town for a few hours, and they were proving to be a real bitch.

 

She’d been tracking a bounty in SoCal when she’d gotten a text from Lucifer cashing in on his favor. It had been their arrangement—her idea, not his—to guarantee his forgiveness for the torture she’d put him through when she was working with Cain. A deal with the devil: Accept my apology, and you get a favor to be named in the future.

 

He’d already sort of forgiven her, of course. Lucifer had always been mercurial, and it didn’t take him long to move from one worry to the next. Celestial ADHD, maybe. By the time Maze had gotten back to him after checking in on Linda, he had been so worried about what Chloe had seen that he’d been willing to wave off most of what she’d done. Especially since she had been there looking out for Linda. Maze had insisted, though. They didn’t need random, unresolved feelings between them anymore.

 

Neither of them were good enough at dealing with those for it to be beneficial in the long run.

 

So, favor:

 

_Maze, it’s me. I need you to get back to the loft to do a spot of protection/babysitting duty. Come as quick as you can._

She’d tried to text him back, and then to call him, but he’d been “unavailable.” And, she’d assumed, “unavailable” meant “in Hell.” So, she’d booked it back to LA as fast as she could, probably breaking more than a few laws both of humankind and physics on her way, only to find the loft an actual disaster area, with a hole blown in the wall and the bathroom practically a murder scene. The blood smelled familiar, and she took a bit of the hair on the floor with her. There was an unfamiliar scent here, too. Probably whoever had gone through the wall.

 

It made her think that the person Lucifer had wanted her to protect didn’t need that much protecting. Or that the person was, as the Goddess had been, a case of keeping that person contained.

 

Maze sniffed the hair again and felt over it. A strange feeling started to squirm in her gut. She knew that texture. Most of the highest ranking Lilim would. It had been, for a time, a bit of a perk of the job. Rise high enough in the echelons of Hell, and be _pretty_ enough, and you’d get to fuck the King himself. Not that Lucifer hadn’t been picky even then, but human rulers didn’t have such fun with their underlings.  

 

She sort off doubted the demons were getting perks like that these days, after kidnapping his nephew and trying to overrun the Earth.

 

Quite naturally, her investigation drifted to Lucifer’s bed. The sheets were rumpled, bloodied. Even against the high thread-count black cotton, she would’ve noticed the blood, if not smelled it. Setting her knives on the nightstand, Maze slipped into the bed and pulled the sheets up to her nose. She breathed in deeply and let the scents wash over her.

 

Lucifer… CHLOE? (Get it, girl.) And something else… Oh. Ohhhh.

 

Things were about to get _interesting_.

 

Maze rolled out of the bed and touched the pillow. Same dark hair. Was it Lucifer’s, or someone else’s? She sniffed it. No product. Hm.

 

Collecting her knives, Maze’s mind was busy. She headed out to find her target, pausing only briefly to investigate the rubble on the ground below. No lingering scents, because there were no soft surfaces, but whoever had gone flying out of the wall had gotten right up. Not strong enough to overpower Lucifer’s ward, but strong enough to walk away.

 

Maze swung her knives a bit, thinking, wondering. Then, the hunt commenced.

 

* * *

 

The shelter had been a sad place, but he left it a big brighter, and with different clothing, and sandals. Not that he minded the hot concrete or the pricking things on the ground. Apart from his existing wounds, which didn’t seem to be healing, he seemed quite impervious. He kept walking. He didn’t have a plan, exactly. His thoughts bounced around and scattered in his head. But it had been too long since he’d walked the Earth, and unlike many of his brothers and sisters, he quite liked humans. In a general sense.

 

He passed several blocks. Lots of people lingered on the streets. Some clung to their street corners. He made sure to stop by each of these, talk with the people there, and wish them well. Whether they had a cup in hand or offered him a bed for an hour, he knew there was good to be found in each, and they of all people could use a blessing the most.

 

Just as the nascent threads of a plan began to form in his mind, a woman’s sobs caught his ears and he drifted toward a tall building. Up the stairs and then down a long hall, and he was at the door of the woman’s apartment. The door was locked, but that was hardly an obstacle. He gave it a simple push and the door came open off of its hinges.

 

“What the fuck? Who the Hell are you?”

 

The man standing over the woman was tall, broad shouldered, unshaven and unwashed. The man rushed toward him and with a mere flick of the wrist, ended up crumpled against the wall.

 

“Pl-please,” the woman choked out. Her face was streaked with tears. “Don’t hurt me.”

 

He froze. Her hands were bound against the metal pipes holding a radiator to the wall. Her wrists were raw from struggling to escape. Her dress was torn.

 

“Your eyes,” she gasped.

 

_Let me go. Please, brother. This is beneath you._

 

_Don’t._

_Don’t._

_Not again._

 

The woman’s sobs grew louder as she cowered away from him. Hands shaking, chest beginning to heave, he reached over and tore the pipe out of the wall. She could’ve used more from him. She needed more. But his feet had taken him out of the door before he could think about it. Back down the stairs. Into the streets.

 

He was walking faster now. Images flooding in front of his eyes. The sounds of ripping. The smell of his own blood. The feeling as _each one of them_ died. Over and over and over. Darkness and blood and pain and betrayal, unending, surrounding, forever and ever….

 

Oh, _Father_.

 

There were people all around him now. Few were paying attention as he stopped in front of a fountain and  pushed his hands through his hair and shook, full-bodied, as he tried to contain the years of suffering. But he couldn’t, and gradually, a low scream worked its way through and burst out of him.

 

And the ground began to shake around him.

 

 * * *

 

“Anyone could’ve come after him,” Amenadiel said. He had one arm wrapped around Charlie’s waist, keeping him from falling from the couch. “My first thought would be the higher ranking demons, of course.”

 

Charlie smiled at Chloe, and she caught his eye and smiled back.

 

“Aren’t they afraid of him?” Linda said.

 

“They were, but after his long absence, anything could be going on down there.” Amenadiel shook his head. “He locked the gates. I couldn’t get in to find out if I wanted to. I could try again, if you’d like.”

 

“I doubt he’s gone back there if they were the ones who hurt him,” Chloe said. “He was… I don’t know how to describe it. He just wasn’t _him_. Even when he’d gone full-on Devil Mode, and people were just _confessing_ as he walked by, he was himself. The way Lucifer was acting was so strange. Dan said it was a concussion. Can you get a concussion?”

 

“Celestials can harm each other,” Amenadiel confirmed. He handed Charlie off to Linda, who took him over to a gated play area and let him down. “It could very well be that another angel felt he, or she, was doing Father’s will and targeted Lucifer… Seems like a bonehead move now that he’d returned to Hell.”

 

“Would there be any angels who would want to take Hell from him?” Chloe asked.

 

“Couldn’t they have just taken it while he was on vacation? He was gone a long time,” Linda pointed out.

 

“True.” Chloe rubbed the back of her finger against her mouth.

 

Amenadiel crossed his arms. “More than that, you won’t find many angels willing to go to Hell for _any_ reason.”

 

Chloe nodded. “Okay. I guess our best bet right now is to go out and find him ourselves. I didn’t want any police officers running across him when he’s like this. He took out a wall trying to defend himself. He’s not thinking, probably running on instinct—“

 

She stumbled to the ground as the ground suddenly began to move around them.

 

“Linda!” Amenadiel’s wings unfurled over them as Linda grabbed Charlie, who had begun to scream.

 

“Get away from light fixtures!” Chloe yelled.

 

Amenadiel swept his arms around them and guided them into the doorway. Chloe closed her eyes and grabbed onto the doorframe. It was a long one, and as every second passed, she imagined all the damage being done, the lives being lost…

 

And finally, it was over, and she tentatively stepped into the room. Linda held Charlie close, swaying him back and forth to soothe him.

 

“Can angels cause _that_?” Chloe asked.

 

“I-I don’t know,” Amenadiel admitted. “But we’d better start to looking.”


	2. Good Samaritan BOLO

 

Maze had been tracking for the better part of the day. It was evening now, and as a point of professional pride, she was disappointed by how long it had taken her to find him. At a hospital, of all places.

 

When she saw him, however, Maze hesitated. She hadn’t expected her quarry to be Lucifer himself. Sure, he was wearing a pair of weathered, ill-fitting jeans and a hoodie. And sandals. And horn-rimmed glasses. (Who had dressed him?!) And his hair was cut very unevenly. But it was still his face.

 

His scent had changed, though. It was different, maybe because of the other scent she’d picked up… Was that possible? Maze didn’t know whether to laugh or be repelled.

 

She followed Lucifer into the hospital. Unfortunately, she was attracting more attention than he was, and he still smelled like blood and pain.

 

“Excuse me, ma’am, but you can’t stay here,” an intern insisted.

 

Maze ignored him and watched as Lucifer came up to a woman surrounded by children and pressed his hand on her head. He whispered something, and then moved on to the next bed.

 

 _Weird_. He had a dressing on his own head. Had Lucifer gotten his marbles knocked around?

 

“Fuck off,” Maze told the intern before following Lucifer at a distance.

 

He touched and spoke to several patients before walking further into the hospital. A nurse came up to stop him, and Maze expected him to charm her, or offer her a trip to pound town, but all he said was,

 

“It’s okay that I come through here, isn’t it?”

 

And the woman let him go. Baffled, Maze stormed through.

 

“If you wanted to see me, you could’ve said so,” Maze said as she approached him. “No need for cryptic texts.”

 

Lucifer faced her. For a split second, his expression was curious, but then, he stepped back and said in perfect Lilim, “I am not going with you anywhere. My days of captivity are over.”

 

“What is up with you?” she demanded. “You’re acting bizarre. You smell _weird_.”

 

“I _smell_ weird?” Lucifer looked down at his clothes.

 

Maze stepped up to him and took him in with a slow and deliberate breath. That was it, all right. “Look, I don’t know how you got into this, but I’m taking you back to your brother.”

 

“You absolutely are not.” He’d slipped back into English, in a flat American accent.

 

“Do you have to be difficult about this?” Maze said. “I’ve been at this all day.”

 

“I’d hate to make your job _tedious_ , demon.” Bitterness laced the edge of his voice.

 

Before she could snap back at him for the demon comment, Lucifer had shot down the hallway.

 

And the chase was on. He must really be hurt, if he thought he couldn’t face her in a fight. Either way, Maze was going to drag him back to Amenadiel, conscious or not. They could sort out what was going on with Lucifer back there.

 

They hadn’t gone far when Lucifer found an exit. Maze followed easily. He wasn’t even throwing anything in her path. Not people, not gurneys. This was _too easy_ a chase. A thought which dawned on her only after she found herself in the parking lot with Lucifer standing there facing her with a stern expression.

 

He’d just wanted to get them out of the hospital.

 

“Well, that was a nice little jog,” Maze said. “But in your _condition_ , do you really think you can take me?”

 

Lucifer lifted his chin. His eyes flashed brilliantly, catching her off-guard.

 

“Yes,” he said simply.

 

* * *

 

There had been more than a few sleepless nights for Chloe in her time as a cop. Stake-outs, obviously. During Trixie’s babyhood when the bulk of her care had fallen to Chloe. Last night, searching for Lucifer after a possibly supernaturally induced earthquake was possibly the least pleasant.

 

“Did you find him?” Dan asked the moment he saw her. Of course, he’d figured out what she was up to when she’d asked that he take Trixie for the night.

 

“No.” Chloe rubbed her forehead.

 

“I don’t know how he got so far when he was that hurt,” Dan muttered.

 

“Because he’s a stubborn Devil.”

 

Dan chuckled slightly.

 

“You’ve definitely mellowed on him.” Chloe sipped her coffee and stretched.

 

Dan shrugged. “Not really… Maybe a little. The guy was so _thrashed_. Even _if_ he deserved it, that’s harsh. Anyway, Linda’s good at what she does. He’s easier to deal with as a concept when I’ve got _my_ shit together.”

 

“Six months, and you’re cured?” Chloe said skeptically.

 

“Six months, and I’ve got a sense of how far I’ve got to go.”

 

Ella swung out of her office, The Lopez Cave, as Lucifer had sometimes called it, and waved them in. “C’mere! This is _so_ cool. You’re not even gonna believe it.”

 

Chloe and Dan looked to one another and followed her. Ella pulled up her laptop and gestured to a map of L.A. on her corkboard with little thumbtacks all over it.

 

“Do we have a serial killer?” Chloe asked.

 

“No! We have a serial _angel_!” Ella waved her hands excitedly. “Or whatever. Good Samaritan maybe. But there have been reports like, all day yesterday and even more today about some guy walking through L.A. and helping people.”

 

Dan scratched the back of his head. “I know L.A. is a rough place, but I don’t think someone being helpful is a miracle.”

 

“No, no, check this out.” Ella hit play on her computer.

 

A local news reporter stood in the middle of a homeless shelter and walked as she cheerfully claimed, “Here, in a local Christian shelter, the staff and residents claim they were visited by God himself, or at the very least, an angel.”

 

The scene cut to a young man, with “Staff Dave Rivas” across the bottom of the screen. “I’ve been addicted to heroin since I was fifteen. This guy, I don’t even know how to describe him. He just had this energy, you know? This calm. And he gave me a flower and told me that as long as I helped others, I’d never need smack. And just then—“ He snapped his fingers. “I didn’t need it anymore. I haven’t felt this good since I was a kid.”

 

Another cut revealed an aging woman, “Resident Carole Vaughn.” “I’ve never talked to anyone who was such a good listener. He told me to go and call my daughter, and everything would be fine. My daughter hasn’t talked to me in years, and she picked up the phone and offered me a place to stay. God works in mysterious ways, even through this poor young man.”

 

“Witnesses say,” the reporter continued, “that their divine helper came into the shelter badly beaten himself, and staff report they redressed some pretty severe wounds. In the end, he walked right out the door, presumably on his way to bring light to the lives of others. Back to you, Don.”

 

Ella turned off the video and looked at them with her eyes sparkling. “Isn’t that far out? And it’s more than that. There’s like a trail of people cutting through L.A. here at the shelter, all the way over here—and they all say the same thing. Some dark haired guy, got the shit beat out of him, changes their lives.”

 

“Do you really believe some angel is walking around L.A. in need of medical attention?” Dan asked.

 

“I just think it’s neat. People helping people. It’s probably just some guy, but what if it’s more?” Ella shrugged.

 

Chloe got out her phone. “Hey, Linda… No. Well, maybe. Can you ask Amenadiel if Lucifer ever uses that mojo, um, persuasion thing of his to convince people to improve their lives? Yeah, I’ll wait.”

 

“Oh. Dark hair. Shit beat out of him,” Dan said. “That could be. He’s convincing.”

 

“What does this have to do with him? You guys didn’t find him?” Ella asked.

 

“Nope.” Dan shook his head. “Though, I still think we should put a BOLO out. He’s not a subtle guy, whether he’s claiming to be a devil or an angel.”

 

Chloe sighed and bit her lip as Amenadiel talked about matters far beyond her paygrade. She nodded and uh-huhed. After ending the call, she took a picture of Ella’s map.

 

“Lucifer is performing miracles all over L.A.? That’s a little outside of the whole Devil character,” Ella said.

 

“It is, but I’m kind of at a loss right now. I’m going to check in with Amenadiel and Maze at Lux. See if we can’t figure something out.” Chloe looked at Dan. “Unless you need me for the Bharti case? God, I almost forgot.”

 

“I just handed that over to Jenkins and King,” Dan said. “I figured we’d need some time to deal with this. Especially now. Wandering around with a concussion? And now he’s been through an earthquake.”

 

Chloe touched Dan’s shoulder. “I appreciate it.”

 

“And I’ll text you if I get any more hits on the ‘angel’ stuff,” Ella said. “Just in case.”

 

Ella skirted around the table and trapped Chloe in a hug before she could rush out. She had to admit, it did feel kind of good right now.

 

“And you give him one for me if you find him. Gosh, dude knows how to make things all about him, doesn’t he?” Ella joked gently.

 

Chloe swallowed, trying not to let herself get overwhelmed her. “You know, he really does.”

 

She held herself together, barely, until she was in the car, where hot, fat tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t know what she’d expected if Lucifer ever returned. Being at her wit’s end trying to find him, hadn’t been it. His not even recognizing her… Well, that was exactly the thing she had feared. Almost as much as she feared not being able to recognize _him_.

 

* * *

 

Amenadiel was able to check in with Linda and his son after searching for Lucifer all night. And Linda had been wonderful, of course. The woman was a pillar of strength, even when she was surrounded by matters that should have been so far above human comprehension.

 

But today, their biggest problems weren't the oddity of dealing with the divine, or even the struggle of dealing with a significant other who had, at best, a tenuous grasp on appropriate human behavior. She was holding him up.

 

It killed Amenadiel, absolutely _killed_ him, that things had turned out this way. He’d spent years trying to bully his brother into taking responsibility for Hell, without a thought spared for how the job was in itself a kind of torture. Now Lucifer had done so, and as a result, he had been _savaged_ , possibly driven mad.

 

If only his stubborn brother would let Amenadiel come help him… But as Lucifer had done at the beginning of time, before human souls began finding their way to Hell, he’d locked the gates to prevent other Celestials from slipping in or out. Logically, it made sense: The demons couldn’t disobey Lucifer’s orders on possession if they couldn’t leave Hell at all. Unfortunately, the decision had left Lucifer on his own… for too long.

 

When Amenadiel arrived at Lux, he strapped Charlie to his chest in the carrier and took his diaper bag with him. The doors were locked, but he, Chloe, and Maze all had keys in Lucifer’s absence. It had been a group effort, keeping this place going without him. It had never occurred to Amenadiel how much of Lux’s patronage had to do with the quirkiness of its host.

 

Who knew people enjoyed the impromptu dance numbers, hearing the same song played on the piano for a month, and occasionally seeing him wander down from his loft in his bathrobe?

 

Regardless, they had all wanted to make sure that Lux was still standing when he got back.

 

The first to arrive, Amenadiel turned on the lights and strolled around the bar.

 

“This is where I told your Uncle Luci about _you_ for the first time,” he told Charlie. “He went to Hell for you. Well, for you and humankind, but you were definitely part of it.”

 

Charlie babbled softly as Amenadiel took him around.

 

“It was quite the sacrifice. Seems like more of one every day.” Amenadiel petted Charlie’s soft hair. “Someday, you’ll meet your Uncle Luci. Don’t do anything he would do.”

 

“What wouldn’t Lucifer do?” Maze said from behind him. “Sound advice all around.”

 

Amenadiel turned and raised both of his brows. “What happened? Are you okay?”

 

“Lucifer’s flipped his lid.” Maze came up to Charlie and pulled a goofy face. It must’ve hurt. She had blood smeared over her cheek, bruises everywhere, and she was walking with a limp.

 

“ _He_ did this to you?”

 

“Yeah, he’s not thinking straight. I caught him wandering through a hospital. Totally shut down when I told him I was gonna take him back to you. Knocked me on my ass.” Maze took Charlie’s hands and danced them back and forth. “He’s got some new moves. I’ll be ready for him next time. Won’t I? Won’t I be ready? Maze is gonna kick his crazy butt!”

 

“Why is he acting like this?” Amenadiel muttered.

 

“I _told_ you. Because he’s _cray_.” Maze went behind the bar and poured herself a drink. “Oh, and I haven’t told you the _best part_. It’s probably got a lot to do with why he’s ping ponging between wandering around in a daze and fighting like some wild hellbeast.”

 

Maze snorted a laugh before knocking back her drink.

 

“Maze,” Amenadiel scolded. “Lucifer is hurting. He’s out of his mind. Can you even imagine what must have occurred to cause something like this? He spent eons in Hell before all of this happened. Only six months, and he’s changed?”

 

Maze shrugged and opened a jar of maraschino cherries. “He was in a state of flux before he retook the throne. Like, on a molecular level. Thanks to _Daddy_. Plus, you know, it’s always way longer down there. Anything could’ve happened in that time.”

 

Amenadiel was very, very aware of that fact. He couldn’t stop thinking about that fact.

 

The front doors open, and Chloe came through the doors, looking as tired as he would imagine. She’d been up as long as he had, and she had no Celestial stamina as back-up.

 

“Hey.” Maze poured a glass of something wicked-looking and offered it to Chloe, who pursed her lips and shook her head. Maze shrugged, downed it, and poured herself another glass.

 

First order of business, Chloe repeated her observations from seeing Lucifer in the loft and then gave them a full download of everything Ella had come up with.

 

“Have you ever heard of anything like this before?” Chloe shook her head. “Lucifer never said _anything_ about being able to perform miracles.”

 

“He can’t,” Amenadiel said.

 

“Unless, if by miracles, you mean rapid-fire multiple _orgasms_ ,” Maze said.

 

Chloe rolled her eyes.

 

“It’s the truth.” Maze reached under the bar, took a piece of ice, and started running it over the swelling of her cheek. “But there’s more to this than we know. Someone’s tracking Lucifer. They gotta be. And I can’t tell if he’s trying to run from them or _attract them_ to him.”

 

“So we have to find him first, but he doesn’t want to be found.” Chloe sighed and crossed her arms.

 

“We can find him again. I tracked him once.” Maze hopped onto the bar and swung her legs. “I just need Amenadiel to come with. We’ll need the both of us to take him down.”

 

Amenadiel nodded. “If that’s how it has to be.”

 

“But we gotta be real precise. You know, knock him out _gently_ , or something. Or we’ll do more harm than good.” Maze smirked as she swirled her drink around in the glass. “’Cause Lucifer’s _pregnant_.”

 

“What?” Chloe shot a glare at Maze. “Is that supposed to be funny?”

 

“Supposed to be? It just _is_. Lucifer’s so creeped out by kids.” Maze chuckled. “He must be freaked at having one _inside_ him.”

 

“How is that possible?” Amenadiel demanded. “Be serious.”

 

“I’m dead serious. I smelled it on his sheets, but I assumed Chloe was the one knocked up.” Maze set down the glass and sighed. “But then I fought him, and… It was just obvious.”

 

Amenadiel held Charlie’s hand and stared at Maze. Wrapping his brain around that one was… It was, just…

 

“ _How_?”

 

“How am _I_ supposed to know? Your physiology is a moving target,” Maze said. She glanced back at Chloe. “Don’t worry. I mean he probably didn’t cheat on you. Are you guys officially a thing, or…? Anyway, chances are it wasn’t consensual. There’s no way he’d actually want to have babymaking sex with some demon or demigod or whatever.”

 

Chloe’s mouth dropped open. Then, her jaw clamped shut, and she blinked several times before:

 

“What the fuck is _wrong_ with you?!”

 

“I’m just tryin’ to help,” Maze argued.

 

“It doesn’t help to think that Lucifer was _raped_ and _maimed_ and _knocked up_ by some supernatural entity!” Chloe shouted.

 

Maze looked down and pressed her lips together.

 

Amenadiel let his head fall back and stared up at the ceiling. The question kept repeating in his mind. How? _How_? Not just how it had _happened_ (as he was sure the explanation would be as ridiculous and as satisfying as that for what had created Charlie), but how something like this could be _allowed_? Apart from the fall, this was possibly the worst thing that had been done to an angel in thousands of years. Not since Duma during his visit to Sodom had anything remotely like this happened.

 

“We knock him out gently, then,” Amenadiel said quietly.

 

The two women looked to him. Chloe’s eyes were shining, barely containing her anger and despair.

 

“And we get him _home_ ,” Amenadiel continued. “He needs to be in a safe place before he can begin to deal with what’s happened.”

 

Amenadiel just hoped that they could bring Lucifer back from all of this. Duma _still_ hadn’t spoken a word.

 

* * *

Three hospitals. Three hospitals and one fight and a trail of flowers decorating the buildings and sidewalks of this strange city. He was tired. Maybe it had been the fight. He was pretty sure it had been the hospitals.

 

His legs started to buckle underneath him, and he leaned heavily into the wall beside him. What else could he do? That earthquake had been his doing. No one else’s. It had never even occurred to him that his voice could do so much _damage_. People had died. Windows shattered. Destruction like that could not be abided…

 

As hard as he tried not to think about it, even dwelling slightly caused pain to bubble up inside him, and he held his hand over his mouth in a desperate attempt to contain the burning scream at the back of his throat.

 

“For I am fearfully and imperfectly made,” he ground out between his teeth.

 

How little it had taken to turn him into a monster.

 

He collapsed in a heap under a fire escape and curled in on himself. His head was spinning, his side throbbing. His hand curled over his stomach.

 

“You’ll die, too. Just like the others. I’m so sorry, dear. I should’ve- I didn’t think…” His eyes closed, and he let his head fall against the hard bricks.

 

If only his head would _clear_. If only he could _see_ properly. Then, he could pull together everything that was happening. Find the bigger picture. He could make a _plan_. Hadn’t he always been the rational one? Now, he was sure if his brother came for him, he was lost, perhaps forever this time.

 

As he sank deep into sleep, fragments of dark and bloodied dreams fell around him like waves.

 

* * *

 

Chloe felt sick. She had remained in the bar long after Amenadiel and Maze had left to go hunting. A few text updates from Ella told her that, if Lucifer were attached to these “miracles,” they’d grown in number directly after the earthquake and fallen off today. Moreover, it seemed like fewer of them had anything to do with the recipient just being given a new lease on life.

 

Those in the hospital, many from the earthquake, had simply _healed from their wounds._

It was hard to reconcile Lucifer’s powers with this sudden miracle-worker. Part of her, the detective part, wondered what they were missing. It just didn’t add up. Selfishly, though, she wanted Amenadiel and Maze to drag Lucifer back, tie him up somewhere so he couldn’t run away from them again, and let her sit by his side until she could bring him back.

 

What had been done to him hurt far too much for her to bear. She covered her eyes and glanced at her phone once more. No more texts from Ella, but it was getting late. With a sigh, she pushed herself up from the bar and went to the elevator. Maybe she had missed something upstairs.

 

As the elevator went up, she closed her eyes, remembering her last ride in this elevator with Lucifer. How terrified she’d been for him. How uncertain. Was he just as terrified now? His body doing impossible and unpredictable things.

 

For the second time that day, her eyes grew wet. She struggled to catch her breath as the doors opened to a well-lit loft. Her eyes scanned the room suspiciously. There was no reason for the lights to be on. Had Maze left them on? Chloe didn’t remember seeing them from the street.

 

Her hand went instinctively to her gun as she stepped silently into the apartment. A thief? Whoever had been coming after Lucifer?

 

The piano was uncovered. The scotch was sitting out on the counter. Chloe drew her weapon and kept her eyes trained on the corners for any flicker of movement. A sound came from the bedroom. Something tugged in pit of her stomach, hoping Lucifer had just… come back. Come home after wandering in his confusion. She’d find him exhausted but safe.

 

Just as she dismissed the thought, there was a clunk sound and steps approached. Chloe’s eyes bulged so wide she thought they might pop out of her head.

 

It was _Lucifer_. Really, actually. Clean and coiffed and smooth-skinned as if the other day had never happened. He stopped, mid-stride, brushing dust off of his otherwise pristine suit jacket, and looked up at her.

 

“Hullo, Detective.” Lucifer swallowed and both of his brows shot up. “I see you _missed_ me.”

 

“What…? How…?” Chloe holstered her gun and raked her eyes up and down. “You’re _fine_!”

 

She rushed to his side and touched his cheek in disbelief. How fast could he heal? He _had_ mended pretty quickly from the shot to the gut, but he’d had so _many_ injuries…

 

“Um, Chloe?” Lucifer touched her arm gently and smiled.

 

His voice was his own again, too. She’d missed it.

 

“What are you looking for?” Suddenly, his smile disappeared. “I’m _me_ , I promise. No backsliding. No recurrences…. Well, not _lately_. Things were a bit dicey a time or two back in Hell. The job’s… a _trial_ to say the least, but I’ve been working on it. On me.”

 

Chloe nodded, trying to blink away tears. She moved her hand down his shirt and shook her head, as if she could banish away all the suffering he’d endured.

 

“I understand. I do. I just… Look, I know it was hard, impossible even. But we’ll get through this. Together, okay?” Her hand rested on his stomach.

 

Lucifer frowned and tilted his head to the side. “I’m glad you aren’t _angry_ with me for running off on you,” he said hesitantly. “I admit, though, I’m a bit confused.”

 

Chloe nodded. “That’s okay. It makes perfect sense to be confused right now. And I know you didn’t mean to.”

 

“No, I _meant_ to. Because of Charlie. Because of _you_. Remember?” Lucifer moved her hand away from his stomach and walked over to the counter to pour himself a drink.

 

“Wait.” Chloe followed him to the bar. “Lucifer, you can’t.”

 

Lucifer sniffed the scotch. “Poisoned, you think? D’you have any idea who put a hole in m’home?”

 

“Poison by _definition_.” Chloe glared at him. “Are you crazy? Or don’t you…? Lucifer, I’m not entirely sure how this works, but you can’t _drink_ right now!”

 

“Why ever not?” Lucifer rolled his eyes. “I think under the circumstances, we could _all_ use a stiff drink.”

 

Lucifer lifted the glass to his lips again, and Chloe grabbed the glass out his hand.

 

“You can’t drink that because you’re _pregnant_!” she snapped.

 

Lucifer stared at her hard, then put his hands on his hips and pulled his head back.

 

“ ** _What?!_** ”


	3. Run-of-the-Mill Angel Guts

Lucifer’s expression, so disbelieving and indignant, would be comical if Chloe weren’t so _worried_ about him. Did he not know? Or had he just repressed it, pretended it wasn’t happening? Denial had always been his favorite drug.

 

“Well, Detective.” Lucifer shook his head and strolled over to get himself another glass. “Got to say, I’ve imagined our reunion many, _many_ times. Thought maybe you’d be angry. Maybe you’d cry. Maybe _I’d_ cry.” He laughed softly and set a fresh glass on the counter. “I even thought you might clock me one. I suppose you won’t, now that you think I’m _expecting_.”

 

“Maze was pretty sure she was right about this.” Chloe set the first drink down. How could she convince him? Would it even make a difference to an angel baby?

 

“And here I’d thought I kept things pretty tight in Hell.” Lucifer turned to the side and gestured to his abs.

 

Chloe clicked her tongue and gave him a stern look.

 

“I really missed your being exasperated with me.” Lucifer smirked.

 

“Maze loves to tease, but I’ve never known her to just make up off-the-wall _nonsense_.” Chloe slapped the counter. “Can you just _listen_? We’re all _really worried_ about you.”

 

Lucifer crossed his arms. “Who’s we?”

 

“Everyone! Amenadiel, Linda, Maze… Ella. Even Dan, actually.”

 

“Detective _Douche_ thinks I’m pregnant?”

 

Chloe waved her hands. “He and Ella don’t know about that part.”

 

Lucifer, still seeming amused, nodded slightly and walked around to her side of the counter. Then, he began to unbuckle his belt.

 

“ _What_ are you doing?”

 

“You like proof, right? Something you can see? Touch?” He pulled up his shirt. “Give ‘er a poke.”

 

Chloe pursed her lips.

 

“I’m serious.”

 

Chloe rolled her eyes and pressed her hand into his firm, well-cut abdomen. It was funny that they were so wrapped up in this drama of theirs, unable to be together, and yet they’d been _incredibly_ chaste. Laughably so, even. She felt the rise and fall of his breathing.

 

“Pretty nice, hm?” He seemed so pleased with himself. “Nothing but your run-of-the-mill angel guts.”

 

“Pretty firm. Which it would be, _if_ you were pregnant,” Chloe pointed.

 

Lucifer frowned.  Chloe patted his stomach, and he let his shirt fall.

 

“It isn’t like you’d be able to _tell_ early on.”

 

“What do you want me to do? Pee on a stick?” Lucifer sighed heavily. He went over to his sofa, whipped off the covering, and sat down. “Thought we’d be kissing or fighting by now.”

 

“We _are_ fighting.”

 

“Not really. You won. I am—tragically—without a drink in my hand.”

 

Chloe came over to sit next to him. He crossed his legs toward her and folded his hands in his lap.

 

“You really _were_ all ready to be by my side in my time of need!” Lucifer teased. “That’s sweet, in a way.”

 

“I wish you’d take this seriously. A day ago, I was in that bed with you—“

 

“Oooh!”

 

“Shut up. And there was _so much_ blood, and you looked—“ Chloe pressed her palms to the sides of her face. “It was like you didn’t even _know_ me. You were so _hurt_ , and _broken,_ and your eyes weren’t even the same color—when they glowed, I mean—“

 

Lucifer took one of her hands and leaned forward. “ _I_ wasn’t here yesterday.”

 

Chloe looked up at him. His teasing eyes had grown intense, concerned.

 

“No, you were _right there_.” Chloe pointed at the bedroom. “I _saw_ you. I talked to you!”

 

“Was this before or after the _hole_?”

 

“Are you trying to make a dirty joke? It was before. And then… I left.” Chloe flinched, still feeling guilty that she couldn’t have stayed with him. “So you could heal.”

 

“It wouldn’t have any effect on _him_ , I’m afraid.” Lucifer tented his hands over his mouth.

 

“On who?”

 

“My brother.” Lucifer let his hands fall. “You see, I came here to drop him off, dress his wounds and clean him up a bit, and I had to return to Hell straight away, as time was of the essence in this matter.”

 

“He looked _exactly_ like you,” Chloe said in disbelief.

 

“Well, I tend to think I’m the more attractive one.” Lucifer grinned. “And he did used to have very long hair. I had to cut it, though. It was impossibly tangled. Matted with… blood as it was.”

 

Chloe shot up, speechless for a moment. “I’ve known you for _years_! You never mentioned having a _twin_!”

 

Lucifer grimaced. “Our relationship is… complicated.”

 

“So… Like _every other_ relationship with your family?”

 

Lucifer ran a hand through his hair and walked toward his bedroom, where he leaned on the doorway. “Things are different with twins. And I hadn’t seen him in a very, very long time.”

 

Chloe considered all of this. It changed things, a little. But there were still pressing matters ahead.

 

“You _just_ got back, didn’t you?” she said.

 

His eyes met hers, filled with uncertainty, but also more than a little anger. “How certain _was_ Maze? About the—I mean…?”

 

“Like I said. Pretty sure.”

 

The burning red of Hellfire overtook his eyes as Lucifer clenched his jaw and balled his fists tight.

 

“I should’ve stayed with him. But I couldn’t let them have the chance to regroup, or escape, I—“

 

“Maze and Amenadiel are out there right now looking for you. They’ll find him.”

 

“Dunno if it will do them much good.” Lucifer’s eyes faded back to brown, and he pressed his lips together. “He and Amenadiel never really got on.”

 

* * *

 

The last couple of days had been super weird. Even beyond Chloe and Dan with their off the books search for Lucifer, Ella’s headspace had been… kinda wonky. It hadn’t been _that_ long since she’d started getting back on good terms with the Big Guy. And it took more than getting up for church on Sundays to get her back in her rhythm.

 

So she was somewhere between excited and freaked about all these angel stories. She’d been in an upswing with it earlier when Chloe and Dan had come in, but now that she was scouring for oddities, all this crazy crap started coming up. From the sweet talking guy from the shelter, to maybe the same guy at the hospitals, and now the pictures someone had connected to flowers that had appeared in a matter of hours. _Flowers_ , of all things.

 

She’d been on a break, scrolling on her phone through the pictures being posted on a Facebook group that had popped up. L.A. was an odd place. Always had been. Everyone was an actor, or a writer, or a yoga guru, or something. People walked down the street in full costume. But the level of strange had been off the charts ever since she’d discovered that conga-line stabbing a few years ago. Every once and a while, things just… fell off.

 

So when Ella scrolled over a picture of the flowers and caught sight of a girl who looked suspiciously like her friend Rae Rae—the ghost, the person _no one_ else saw—she didn’t know what to think. What about ghost rules? But then again, sometimes Rae Rae was a straight up liar. Maybe ghosts could do all kinds of stuff Rae Rae had never mentioned.

 

Ella had dropped a comment on the picture and gotten back to work, but the image kept popping up in her mind. Some alleyway. A few red flowers pushing themselves out of the pavement. A smallish woman with a bowl cut and horn-rimmed glasses.

 

When a message plinked up on her phone, Ella sighed. What did this even _mean_? Rae Rae had _never_ shown up in pictures before. Not like she was a vampire or anything, but… Could Rae Rae have something to do with these strange occurrences?

 

What if Rae Rae had been lying about _being a ghost_?

 

Ella finished up her notes quickly and hurried to her car.  The address of that picture taken near the alley had just been posted, and her curiosity was nibbling on her toes. Chances were, even if it _had_ been Rae Rae, she wouldn’t still be there by the time she arrived. Why would she stick around?

 

Given the time of day and the perpetual torture that was L.A. traffic, Ella had plenty of time to turn this over and over in her mind. By the time she got near enough to park, Ella was pretty frothed up. Ghost rules or not, she might just kick Rae Rae’s butt if she didn’t get some real answers.

 

There was no mistaking that she was on the right path. The red flowers were even more luminous than they had looked in the pictures. Ella knelt down to pick one and drew in the scent. She couldn’t place it, not right away. At first, it just made her feel like she was sitting in her _abuela_ ’s kitchen, surrounded by warmth. Then, it came to her that she thought it smelled a bit like condensed milk. She could practically taste the _tr_ _és leches_ cake.

 

What the heck?

 

The flowers trailed sporadically toward the alleyway, and Ella followed them, keeping her eyes peeled for a sneaky ghost. Softly, to herself, she sang, “Follow the yellow brick road…”

 

Rae Rae didn’t appear, though. As she turned the corner, Ella confronted not her friend but an outpouring of flora, a veritable garden between the brick and steel. Vines curled up the sides of either building and around the fire escape. The strange red flowers were joined by little bursts of purple here and there.

 

“Whoa.”

 

Carefully, Ella stepped into the garden. A strange feeling of peace settled into her chest. Something truly miraculous had happened here. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in.

 

Then, a hand grabbed her shoulder from behind, and Ella suddenly remembered she was a very tiny woman in a very big city.

 

“Hands off, man!” she objected.

 

“Maybe, sweetheart. Maybe?” The man grinned at her, releasing some truly eye-watering halitosis. “Maybe you’ve got something for me, little mami, huh? What’s you got on you?”

 

“Seriously, I’m with the LAPD. Let go!”

 

The man laughed as Ella struggled to get out of his grip. “I’m not afraid of pigs.”

 

All at once, Elle found herself falling backward as her assailant was thrown roughly against the wall. Shaken, Ella pushed her palms against the ground and looked up at the tall, dark-haired man holding the creep by the neck.

 

“What _are_ you afraid of?” he asked mildly.

 

Ella blinked, trying to dispel the cognitive dissonance. Her eyes and ears were telling her one thing, but her gut was telling her another. This man looked like Lucifer… but he was _completely different_.

 

“Don’t kill him!” Ella cried.

 

The Lucifer that was not Lucifer glanced back at her before dropping the man, and ordering in a calm but terrifying voice, “ **Go from here**.”

 

Ella trembled as the man fled. She’d _never_ had this reaction to Lucifer before. She held her breath as he stood there over her, almost as roughed up as Chloe and Dan had said he would be, and god, like, _so pale_ , but… his eyes…  that bright light in his eyes…

 

“L-Luce?”

 

He sagged back against the alley wall and wrapped one arm around himself.  Ella got to her feet and went to him.

 

“Hey, are you all right?” Ella reached for his side, but he pulled away from her. “Come with me, okay? My car isn’t far.”

 

He blinked slowly. “I’m gonna lose her.”

 

“Maybe not.”

 

Okay, so Ella had _no_ idea what he was talking about, but she reached for his arm again and waited for him to come to her. For several tense seconds, his eyes shifted around, no longer preternaturally glowy, but the deep, warm brown she remembered. Ella gave him her best, friendliest smile, and slowly, he came to her and let her steady him as they left the alley.

 

* * *

 

“Been a while since I got a good hunt on. Humans can be tricky, but they’re not much of a challenge.” Maze stretched her neck to the side. “Man, Lucifer really got his groove back on in Hell. After a few years here, he was a lot easier to fight.”

 

Amenadiel looked at her. Her moves were more catlike as she hit the pavement toe-first, her back straight and ready. She was prepared to attack at a moment’s notice, even if she was talking to him casually.

 

They’d dropped Charlie off with Linda and very quickly filled her in. Her reaction had been fairly grave, though Amenadiel trusted that she’d be able to help them once they had Lucifer secured.

 

“How so?” Amenadiel looked at his phone and grimaced. He’d considered trying the tracking apps, but they weren’t doing him any good. Yesterday, they hadn’t come up with any data, and today, it seemed as though Lucifer’s phone was just in the loft with the rest of his things.

 

“I mean, he’s insanely strong. You know that, right? There’s a reason that the demons worship him, and it’s not just because they all want to fuck him. And they _do_. His mojo is off the charts down there. Being up here for so long… ” Maze shrugged. “I guess he just forgot, a little, what he really is.”

 

“I’m certain the two of us can handle him together.” Amenadiel didn’t say so, but he was certain that he could handle Lucifer on his own. He always had before.

 

Maze held her hand up, stopping midstride. Her neck went stiff as she looked from side to side, then she took off across the street. Amenadiel had to step back as a car zoomed past, but she didn’t stop. When he caught up to her, she was standing by an alleyway. It was as though nature had simply taken over. The bright burst of green within the otherwise gray and mundane landscape was a shock to the senses.

 

And the flowers, they smelled… almost like the honeyed wine from the Silver City. He could practically see his brothers and sisters standing around him.

 

“Luci couldn’t have done this,” Amenadiel said.

 

“I dunno what _could_.” Maze plucked a purple flower. “These are divine, though. Can’t you sense it?”

 

“I can.” Amenadiel sighed as he scanned over the garden. “We need to burn it.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“We can’t just let something divine remain here where _anyone_ could access it.”

 

“I thought you were all about _mixing_ the divine with humanity these days.” Maze waggled her brows.

 

“I am for it _within reason_. But the reality is that we don’t know what these flowers can do. If they’ll help, or hurt. They could heal people’s wounds, or cure infertility, or be brewed into a tea that can allow them to _see time._ ”

 

“Well, I don’t have a lighter.” Maze turned suddenly then and started stalking down the sidewalk.

 

“Maze, wait! What are you doing?”

 

“Shh!” she hissed back at him.

 

Quickly and quietly, she skirted around the side of the building, and Amenadiel struggled to keep up. At first he couldn’t see what she was tracking, but then the flash of limbs caught his eye. Arms and eyes and whiskers and scales.

 

He fell back, momentarily, so shocked to see something truly demonic walking the Earth. Or scuttling around on Earth, in this case. It was fast, but Maze was faster. The second its scales glinted from the streetlight, she sprung forward, knives at the ready.

 

Amenadiel cast a quick glance around and watched from above until the thing chose a direction to flee, and he came down in a huge gust of wind. It looked up, eyes wide and blinking, and scuttled backward. Into Maze.

 

She sank a knife deep into one of its many hands at the end of one of many, many arms.

 

“What are you doing here, Queller?” she demanded.

 

“I came for the Kiiing,” its garbled voice ground out through insect mandibles attached to a human-like head.

 

“Your kind does _not_ come topside,” Amenadiel boomed.

 

“As you wissssh, my lord.” Hundreds of eyes rolled around, looking between Amenadiel and Maze.

 

Amenadiel couldn’t tell whether it was being cheeky or not, but he grabbed its mandibles and squeezed, causing it to emit a vibrating squeal.

 

“You were the one that came after Lucifer in his loft, weren’t you?” Maze asked. She pressed on the back of the hand she’d knifed.

 

Amenadiel let go of its face, though mostly because the feel of its mandibles was truly upsetting.

 

“Meant no harm, no…” Its eyes fixed on her.

 

“ _He_ didn’t seem to think so,” she said. “Who did that to him, Queller? Who dared do things like that to the King of Hell?”

 

“I cannot say who would dare to do such thingsss….”

 

“I’m sending it home,” Amenadiel declared. “Before someone sees this thing.”

 

“No, no!” the Queller pleaded. “I cannot go back before I find our King.”

 

“You cannot stay here,” Amenadiel said.

 

“I will give you anything. A ring that will make you the wisest man in the room at all times! A crown from the King of Dreame!”

 

“Shut up!” Maze growled.

 

Amenadiel looked up at Maze, whose eyes were narrowed and her arms crossed.

 

“Take us both. I want to talk to some of the demons down there.”

 

“Maze… Are you certain?”

 

Her face was like a stone. Fixed. Unmovable. She’d decided and wouldn’t be persuaded otherwise.

 

“You can come back for me. I understand how it works down there. I just want to know how bad things are.” She lifted her eye to meet his. “Before we decide what to do about…”

 

Lucifer, who needed their help, and a baby, who was an innocent.

 

“Very well. I’ll drop you at the gate. _If_ it’s open.”

 

“Please, no!” the Queller begged.

 

Maze kicked its head with her boot, hard, and it went limp. “You know you’re looking for someone with wings, right? No _way_ this guy managed to get up here by himself.”

 

“You think Lucifer bought it back with him by accident?”

 

“I doubt it. But a Queller is a shit-eater. Good at scenting blood and death. Lousy at doing anything on its own.” Maze shook her head slowly. “Someone brought it up here to find Lucifer and drag him back, but they underestimated Lucifer.”

 

She heaved a sigh. “There are still demons who aren’t under Lucifer’s thumb. This is _bad_.”

 

Amenadiel nodded and reached for Maze. When he’d woken up this morning, he had never thought he’d be descending to Hell yet again.

 

* * *

 

“Okay, here we go.”

 

Ella had always thought of herself as tiny but fierce. That was, however, before she’d climbed three flights of stairs pressing herself into the side of a 6’3 dude. A 6’3 dude who was only half-coherent, bleeding, and clearly in a lot of pain.

 

She kept wanting to take him to the hospital, but he’d asked her, in that quiet but terrible voice, not to do so. For the first time since she’d _met_ Lucifer, Ella was really starting to suspect there was something more than human about him. He’d given that jerk in the alley and order, and he’d been compelled to obey. She’d experienced the same thing, she was sure, when he’d talked to her in the car.

 

Imagine having _that_ kind of ability. Commanding people to do things.

 

But that had been all he’d asked of her. He’d curled over on himself in the passenger seat, looking fretful and exhausted. Now, as she opened the door to her apartment, Ella was afraid he’d just drop to the ground. His heart was beating so fast.

 

“Let’s get you on the couch.” Ella kicked the door shut behind her and eased her patient (such as he was) onto the beat-up cushions. “You stay put. I’m gonna get you some water.”

 

After finding a clean glass and filling it, Ella sighed heavily as she leaned on her counter. This day was kicking her ass, and it wasn’t making any more sense than it had a few hours ago.

 

“C’mon, Luce, don’t die on me.” Ella headed back in to find he’d risen from the couch and was staring at her Jesus candles and bead display. “Hey. Buddy. Park it. I agreed not to take you to the hospital, but you gotta let me take care of you.”

 

“Everyone’s about little Yeshua here,” he said with a wry smile.

 

“Y’know, I never thought your accent was part of the character.” Ella came over and pressed the glass into his hands. “Drink,” she ordered. “And it’s not _all_ about Jesus. I’ve had a rocky road with the Big Guy lately. I mean _you_ know that. It’s just hard, sometimes, keeping things in perspective.”

 

Ella shook her head. “Life, right? It’ll really make ya lose your roll.”

 

Wide brown eyes focused on her, and he tilted his head. “You’ve got a bright little soul in you.”

 

“Uhhh. Thanks, Lucifer.”

 

“I’m not…” He closed his eyes. “That’s not my name.”

 

“Drink the water, whatever your name is.”

 

Ella put her hand on his shoulder and guided him back toward the couch. Once he was seated and drinking, she rubbed a hand over his back, and he flinched hard.

 

“Sorry! Sorry! Gosh, they got you everywhere, didn’t they?”

 

“I should have healed by now.” He stared at the glass. “Why am I not healing?”

 

“I don’t know. Can I look?”

 

“If you like.”

 

“Sit tight.” Ella went to her bathroom to get some supplies and returned quickly. “Okay. Off with the shirt and hoodie.”

 

“You humans are so kind,” he said as he obeyed.

 

Ella whistled as she got a look at the deep puncture wound at his side. He was skinnier than she’d expected. They’d partnered up at the nudist colony, after all, so she did know what he should look like shirtless. Where had the 8-pack gone?

 

She removed the bandage and winched at the stab wound in his side. It was still seeping blood. But Lucifer wasn’t a hemophiliac. Ella bit her lip and pulled on a pair of gloves before opening up a suture kit.

 

“I don’t have any anesthetics. Maybe, uh, I got some tequila?” Ella suggested.

 

“No, I can’t.” He gripped the cushion. “I appreciate this.”

 

“No problem.”

 

Ella got to work. Not the first time she’d sewed someone up on the fly. Her patient this time was far less squirmy than she’d anticipated him to be, too. He just held onto the couch with a death grip and pressed his other hand to his lower abdomen as he breathed slowly and steadily.

 

“So what do I call you, if not Lucifer?”

 

“Call me Michael.”

 

“Okay, Michael. Wanna tell me why I found you in an alley—“

 

Ella’s brain froze mid-thought as her eyes followed a drop of blood hitting her couch. A drop of blood seeping in and a small, tender flower rising up and blooming right there. Ella’s jaw dropped open and she blinked dumbly as she looked back at the wound she was mending, and the being sitting on her couch who made tiny, impossible flowers with his blood, and _wasn’t Lucifer_ , and was possibly, really, something more than human.

 

“Oh, my God…” she breathed.

 

Michael’s voice was flat, devoid of any inflection as he said, “I haven’t spoken to Dad in a very, very long time. It’s unlikely, however, that he didn’t know where I was.”

 

He looked down at her, and Ella busied her hands again, a little terrified to look him in the eye. When she pressed a fresh dressing to his side and taped it up, Ella managed to mutter, “I’m so, so sorry.”

 

“It’s not your doing. If I’m honest, all of this is probably my own fault.”


	4. Adventures in Angel-Sitting

Chloe sucked in her cheeks and shifted her eyes to the passenger seat. It was dark out now, but Lucifer was still wearing the Prada sunglasses he’d taken with him from the loft. As they stopped at a red light, she couldn’t help but notice the people on the sidewalk slowing their pace and drifting closer to the car.

 

“No backsliding, huh?” Chloe said.

 

“What?” Lucifer looked down at his hands and felt his face. He pulled the vanity mirror down to check.

 

“That’s not what I meant. And I don’t mean to make you feel self-conscious.”

 

Lucifer pushed the mirror back up. “Must be diligent, though. Don’t want to get caught driving while deviled.”

 

“Is that a possibility? You said you were handling it.”

 

Lucifer fussed with his suit and pushed the shades up on his nose. “I _was_. Back in Hell. But there’s a bit of calibrating to be done, sometimes, when I come topside.”

 

Chloe pointed to the sidewalk. Lucifer looked and jumped as if startled. A dozen people had gathered at the curb and were staring at them.

 

“Dearie me! Well, don’t just _stare_ , Detective.” Lucifer pulled off his shades and pointed ahead. “ _Gun_ it.”

 

The light changed, and Chloe took off. She kept checking her rearview mirror to see if Lucifer’s um, _thralls_ , or whatever, had started following them, but it seemed as though distance had broken whatever spell Lucifer had intentionally caught them in.

 

Chloe took the off ramp. “So calibrating means… tamping down… _that_?”

 

“Lucky you’re so unaffected by me,” Lucifer muttered. He folded his hands in his lap and started breathing in and out very slowly.

 

 _Meditation_? Was that how he was planning to keep from whammying LA while he was up here?

 

Lucifer placed a hand over his heart, and the other squeezed into a fist as he concentrated. It was hard not to just watch him. Chloe had no idea what he even was trying to do. Was it just about keeping calm? Was he doing some kind of mantra?

 

A car blared its horn at her, and Chloe swerved the car and focused on the road again.

 

“Well, maybe you _are_ affected by me.” Lucifer turned to her and winked. “Distracted by, anyway.”

 

“My head is just all over the place. I was out of my head, worrying about you being out there _alone_ , and now it’s _not_ you, and I feel _terrible_.”

 

“You’re disappointed I’m not out there somewhere in ‘trouble’?”

 

“I’m feeling guilty that I was relieved it was someone else.” Chloe shook her head. “And now I’m worried about a stranger who’s out there critically injured and pregnant.”

 

“Mm.” Lucifer nodded and fussed with his suit jacket. “It… It’s a lot.”

 

“Also, I’m worried that said injured, pregnant stranger may just shake L.A. to pieces, or that _you_ might mojo everyone into a sea of creepy desire-zombies.”

 

“I’m not going to _do_ that!”

 

“Are you sure? I mean, since you left, how often have you come up here to try this out?”

 

“I- Detective. I’ve only come back to give Michael a place to stay. I couldn’t leave him in Hell. He was in such a _state_. I don’t think he even recognized me, which—“ Lucifer shrugged. “That’s _something_ , between twins, I guess.”

 

Chloe pulled into her driveway. “And he… Never came to visit you?”

 

“He did. Early on. I had just, er, locked the gates.”

 

Chloe bit the inside of her cheek. “Even to your twin brother?”

 

“I was angry. And ashamed, and…” Lucifer sighed. “Afraid.”

 

“Why?”

 

Lucifer swallowed and looked down at his lap. Then, he forced a smile and looked up at her. “Didn’t want him to see my face. I didn’t want him to be… as disgusted, and _horrified_ , as I was. His face was _my_ face, always, and suddenly I was… _that_.”

 

Chloe reached over and took his hand. “We’re gonna find him. And we’ll make it, well, not okay. But better.”

 

Lucifer squeezed her hand back. He exhaled softly. “I think I’ve wanted to talk to Michael more I did Dad. Especially the last few years. Earth years, I mean.”

 

“I think you’re gonna get the chance. And you have help, now.”

 

“Thank you. Even if you started the search looking for the wrong twin, I’m grateful it’s already underway.”

 

Together they entered the house, where they were to wait for Maze and Amenadiel, who hadn’t yet answered Chloe’s texts. Lucifer trailed behind her, and Chloe had just set her keys on the counter when Trixie hopped up from the sofa.

 

“Mom! Dad said you might be late again—“ She stopped mid-stride. “Lucifer?”

 

“Hullo, offspring,” Lucifer said with a smile.

 

Trixie stared at him with a confused expression, and Chloe moved between them even though they were on opposite sides of the room.

 

“Where’s your dad?” Chloe asked, touching her shoulder.

 

“Bathroom.” Trixie lifted onto her toes to see Lucifer. “Where’ve you been? It’s been _forever_.”

 

“Off working. You know how it is. Adults don’t always get to do what they’d like.”

 

“You didn’t even call or text or anything. Mom was really sad.”

 

Lucifer looked down. “I know. I _am_ sorry about that. Bloody awful reception where I was.”

 

“It’s okay, monkey. Don’t worry.” Chloe rubbed her back. “Lucifer and I will work that out.”

 

“Are you staying?” Trixie asked.

 

“I…” Lucifer’s eyes met Chloe’s and he sighed. “I’m in town for a bit of business. After that, I really have to return quite quickly. I dunno if I’ll be able to make it up again soon or not.”

 

Trixie crossed her arms and looked at him in disappointment. “Can’t you go wherever you want? You’ve got tons of money.”

 

“Okay, we’ll talk about this later.” Chloe gave her a pat. At least Trixie didn’t seem to be influenced by whatever stray mojo was floating around. “Have you had dinner?”

 

“Dad got us takeout. There’s a sandwich for you in the fridge.” Trixie bit her lip. “We don’t have anything for Lucifer, though. You didn’t go to the store.”

 

“Yeah, it’s been a crazy week,” Chloe admitted.

 

“Don’t fret over me.” Lucifer pulled out his phone and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Food is the furthest thing from my mind right now. Do you think Amenadiel got, er, held up?”

 

The thought that someone, or something, could stop that wrecking ball of an angel, with Maze by his side, was more than a little unnerving. Though that someone could’ve been Michael.

 

The door to the bathroom opened, and Dan stepped out. He did a double-take, then came up to them quickly.

 

“We’ve been looking for you for two days!” Dan threw his hands up. “Where have you been? Wait… How did your face heal so fast?”

 

“Was Lucifer hurt?” Trixie asked.

 

“This is going to be fun explaining to _every_ person I see.” Lucifer took a step towards Dan. “The unfortunate bloke you ran into in my loft was my twin brother, not me.”

 

“You have a twin? Cool,” Trixie said.

 

Dan nodded, slowly, staring up at Lucifer intensely. He took another step toward him, and Chloe wondered for a moment if Dan might be getting ready to clock Lucifer. She’d have to stop him. He might hurt his hand.

 

“I want to tell you what I did,” Dan said abruptly. He shook his head. “I _have_ to tell you. I can’t live like this—“

 

Lucifer clamped his hand over Dan’s mouth. “Another time, hm?”

 

Chloe came up to them and touched Dan’s shoulder. “You don’t have to tell him. Whatever it is, it’s fine for you to just keep that to yourself.”

 

Dan seemed conflicted. Even as Lucifer let his hand drop, Dan seemed to be struggling not to grow closer to Lucifer and spill his guts out to him. With a grunt of annoyance, Lucifer retreated to the sitting area, almost in a sulk.

 

“What just happened to me?” Dan muttered.

 

“Let’s get some water,” Chloe suggested, guiding Dan to the kitchen and grabbing a glass. “We’re going to be waiting here until Amenadiel gets back, so if you want to take off, get some sleep? This probably won’t be resolved by morning.”

 

Dan took a long drink, then put the glass back on the counter. “You need some sleep, too, right? And Lucifer seems… He’s exhausted.”

 

Chloe looked back at the sofa, where Trixie had hopped up next to him and started chatting amiably. She’d been so grateful to see him looking so well that she’d somehow missed the weariness around his eyes.

 

But of _course_ , Lucifer must have been running ragged, trying to track down the parties responsible for what had happened to his brother. And she remembered what Lucifer got like when he didn’t get enough sleep. Probably wasn’t helping with his sense of control, either.

 

“Trixie and I will make sure he rests up while we’re waiting.”

 

After Dan was out the door, Chloe got the sandwich out of the fridge, cut it in half, and put it on two plates with some chips. She came over to the sofa and sat on Lucifer’s other side.

 

“He’s not replying,” Lucifer said. “I’ve got to go out and find them both now.”

 

“Nope. Here’s the plan.” Chloe put the plate in his hands. “We’re gonna have dinner. We’re gonna take some deep breaths. And we’re going to give Amenadiel time to get back to us.”

 

“Aren’t _you_ the little general, these days?” Lucifer said.

 

“It’s just not right, working a case with you when you’re this focused.” Chloe bumped his shoulder with hers.

 

“What’s it like having a twin?” Trixie asked. “That would be so weird.”

 

“Huh. It _is_ weird,” he told her. “32 flavors of weird.”

 

“Did you guys used to talk in secret twin language? And trick people by pretending to be each other?”

 

“Not really. But…” Lucifer smiled a little. “I used to go about doing our other siblings. Imitating them. Especially Amenadiel. Cracked My up every time.”

 

“You call him ‘My’?” Chloe bit back a smile. “Does he call you ‘Luci,’ like Amenadiel does?”

 

“No, he…” Lucifer exhaled slowly. “He called me Sammy.”

 

“Sammy? How do you get ‘Sammy’ from _Lucifer_?” Trixie asked.

 

“Long story.” Lucifer poked at his sandwich. “We had a lot of those. And no, we didn’t have a secret twin language or read each other’s minds or feel each other’s pain. I don’t think any of our siblings knew him the way I did, though. My didn’t speak for himself all that much, and I was better than anyone at getting our siblings to open up. He and I, we used to lie together at night watching the universe swirling around our heads. Back when everything was new. And we’d talk long into the night. Or he’d talk, and I’d listen. I talked enough for everyone any other time.”

 

He picked up a chip and laughed softly. “As you well know.”

 

“You’ll find him. Mom’s a really good detective,” Trixie said.

 

Lucifer looked at Chloe, his eyes shining just a bit. “Oh, yes. I know.”

 

 

* * *

 

Ella’s unconventional, possibly divine patient was sleeping, curled on his side in her bed. She had patched up the wound on his side and then checked on his head wound and the huge, weird crescent shaped ones on his back. She was super worried, but she forced some OJ on him and let him ramble as long as he kept taking sips and deep breaths.

 

Poor guy had been through Hell. Like, maybe _literally_. He wasn’t specific about it, and he kept losing his train of thought, but Ella marked most of that down to extreme blood loss, exhaustion, and frankly, a lot of trauma. She was never the one doing the questioning at the station, but she knew how to read between the lines.

 

Unable to sleep herself, even after she’d taken the magical blood flower from her couch and tried to replant it in an old pot, Ella got up again and went to watch Michael. He’d lain there for some time, staring at the wall before he’d drifted into a deep slumber. Now, he was muttering something in a language Ella had never heard before.

 

She had an inkling what it was, though. Not that they covered _Enochian_ in Bible study.

 

About half an hour passed before Ella started to wonder things. If Michael was some kind of divine being, did that mean Lucifer _really was_ the devil? Or was he divine, too, with like, a _huge_ pack of issues? Did this explain the weird-ass cases they got sometimes?

 

Wait, was Michael still breathing?

 

Ella moved to the bedside and leaned in close. She sighed in relief when she saw him shoulders moving. But then, she realized they were shaking. Shivering. He’d lost so much blood, dripping divinity all over Los Angeles. His chest rose and fell in short, quick breaths. Her hand reached for him unbidden, and she touched his shoulder. Ella didn’t have magic power, or even an abundance of faith at the moment, but she could be here. She could make sure he wasn’t alone.

 

Before she knew it, Ella was lying beside him and pulling the blanket over them both. Careful not to press on the bandages on his back, she wrapped her arms around him and held him as tightly as she dared.

 

Could angels die?

 

Ella slipped into dreams, feeling his heart beating and his cool skin warming slowly.

 

 

* * *

 

The geography in Hell had changed. It hadn’t changed in millennia except to grow bigger, with more and more rooms. But now there were large structures that Maze didn’t recognize at all. Circular buildings that had pushed the columns of rooms of the damned out of the way. A new mountain had risen up, on the far side of a tar pit.

 

The ash still drifted through the air, of course. Underground, the fires raged eternally, and the ash worked its way up to the surface. One thing old Dante had gotten right was that there were levels in Hell, but it wasn’t like things got that much _worse_ as you worked your way down. None of Hell was very pleasant, but Maze greatly preferred the massive caverns that sprawled underneath the surface. That was where the demons lived. And fucked and fought and generally made merry, for tomorrow might never come for them.

 

Letting the Lilim glamor fade away to reveal her true face, Maze took the Queller by a pair of its dangly bits and dragged it squealing through one of the back passages. Amenadiel had been annoyed that she hadn’t told him about these other entrances to Hell, but the fact was that as an angel, he couldn’t use them anyway. Chances were low that she, even as a Lilim, wouldn’t be able to leave that way now that Lucifer had locked Hell down.

 

As they made their way through the winding stairs, Maze spotted the special areas that had been created over the years, with humans being put through the worst Hell could muster. The surface didn’t change much, but occasionally, Lucifer would go on a walkabout, and when he returned, the caverns grew in size and certain especially vile sinners got something new. Times like those were always exciting. Something new in Hell, the never-changing horizon of gray. Even better, when that happened, Lucifer usually told the demons they could do whatever they wanted.

 

It was pretty great. Not so much for the survivors up top, but for the demons who got to eternally torture humans who had made their own kind into soaps and lampshades.

 

“Let me go!” the Queller squealed.

 

“Not until we get to the Lilim caverns. I want to know what you’ve been up to.”

 

She gave it another jerk and kept going. On the way, she saw a few familiar faces and got a few greetings. Hell was a big place. It was less likely that many of the demons had really noticed her absence, even if she had been very high ranking.

 

The Lilim would have noticed, though.

 

She paused as they walked down a long corridor and stepped to the side as one of the Dre’thkarim passed. Maze knew this one, had seen her talking to Lucifer many times. If the Dre’thkarim in question had been Raz, she would have greeted _him_ , but this was Abaddon, and Abaddon was possibly the most dangerous creature down here, apart from Lucifer himself.

 

The robe made of bloodied feathers billowed as she walked, unhurriedly, in fluid, graceful strides. Abaddon had no eyes on her head, just a bone plate spread in a fan shape facing upward, and teeth exposed in a perpetual grimace. Her eyes were on its wings, horridly and perpetually rolling around. There had been an entire legion of demons that Abaddon smote out of existence for refusing an order from Lucifer, once.

 

Maze bowed, and the Queller pressed its body to the ground in subservience. Until Abaddon passed, Maze did not breathe. Odd to sigh in relief with a Queller, but that’s what happened and afterward, they travelled more quickly. She was even able to let it go, and it scuttled alongside her obediently. At least fussing about by a Lilim, it would be safe.

 

It seemed as though they’d been walking for days when they finally approached the caverns. The stink of sweat, come, and blood wafted over them. The air rang with the sounds of blades and cries of ecstasy and agony.

 

 _Home_.

 

“Mazikeen!” Her name burst forth from blue lips, and a tall, rangy figure wove through the throng of bodies. “You unforgivable _cunt_!”

 

“Vunnoth. You sopping _wet_ blue anus!” Maze grinned.

 

“It’s been too long.” Vunn’s mad blue eyes sparkled, the veins webbing outward from them. “Our Lord has kept you busy,” they said with abroad wink. “What’s a shit-eater doing down here?”

 

The Queller started to scuttle backward, but Vunn trapped it under their boot.

 

“Craven thing, aren’t you?” they said.

 

“I must return to the mass of the never-born,” the Queller pleaded.

 

“I don’t think so.” Maze put her hands on her hips. “I caught this one topside. Not among the damned. On _Earth_. I’m hunting whoever it’s working for.”

 

“Oh, _right_.” Vunn pressed their boot now on the Queller, resulting in screeching from both ends of it. “You’ll tell us, won’t you, little never-born? The King Himself was down here only a few years ago, questing after some _pathetic_ set of traitors.”

 

“Please,” the Queller pleaded, its eyes flitting around at all the Lilim passing by them. “I only do as I am told! I was asked by an angel to find the lost archangel!”

 

“What angel?” Maze demanded. “You didn’t mention one of the archangels before. Why did you make me come all the way down here to say this?”

 

“I don’t know which angel!!” the Queller’s many arms flailed around. “How would I know which ones are which? The only one I’ve ever seen was Our Lord!”

 

“And you were serving Our Lord when you went _topside_?” Vunnoth removed their boot and squatted near the Queller.

 

“N-No.”

 

Vunnoth grinned and winked up at Maze. “You’ll have the entire host of Lilim at your disposal. Our Lord has been furious about this mess. I don’t even know what set him off, but no one with two brain cells to rub together would cross him right now.”

 

“How did he _seem_? Besides pissed as, well. You know.” Maze lifted her chin in greeting to Orobos as he lumbered by.

 

Vunnoth hit the Queller with the heel of their boot and shrugged. “Moody. Intense. You can’t walk by him without getting a contact high from his power. It’s grown so deliciously tortured, Mazikeen. No change since he got back from his last trip.”

 

Maze nodded. Lilim rarely referred to Lucifer’s vacations as vacations. They always acted like he was on some important business.

 

“Except… Whatever went down? He’s _really_ upset. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him this livid.” Vunnoth rolled the Queller over onto its back. “If I were betting on it—and I _am_ —one of the legions is going to be razed for this. And it will _not_ be the Lilim.”

 

“Let’s toss this thing in a cell and get a drink,” Maze suggested. “You can tell me what the Lilim have been doing to solve this treachery.”

 

* * *

 

“Yeah, I won’t be in today. Thanks, dude. It’s just kinda crazy around here today.” Ella filled up her coffee pot as she talked to Alvin. “Uhh, y’know. One of my brothers is visiting town, and he got in a fight. I just gotta take care of him. You know. Concussion.”

 

Ella bustled about the kitchen, getting things ready for breakfast. Michael was still sleeping in the bedroom, and she didn’t want to wake him yet. He seemed to really need the rest.

 

“Poor guy,” Ella muttered.

 

She leaned back against the counter as her coffeemaker started to steam and drip, and she closed her eyes. For a long time, she wasn’t sure what to say to the Big Guy. Especially since, if she weren’t going crazy, _He’d_ been the one to call on _her_.

 

“Okay. So we’ve had some rough times in the past year. I’ve had a real hard time making sense of losing Charlotte, and _you_ , and life in general. But now it looks like I’m up to my ears with your kids, so I gotta just ask, are you crazy sending them to _me_ of all people? What can I even do, besides a little bit of angel triage and some good hugs? Amenadiel has Linda, like a literal shrink to help him out. Lucifer had some kind of meltdown and then _left_.” Ella shook her head and opened her eyes. “He’s about as messed up as I would’ve guessed he’d be. He tries really hard. You know that, right? Whatever else he’s done, he’s got such a huge heart… I don’t know if that’s something you care about, but he _does_. And now, Michael.”

 

Ella looked up. “I didn’t know angels could _get_ that hurt. But then again, I did see Lucifer nearly bleed to death in his own club. Sorry about the Molly, I guess. If there’s any guidance you have for me, or anything you need Michael to hear… Anything at all. I’m _here_ , and you’re wherever you are, so… Maybe I’m in a better position, even if I’m basically nothing and no one in the face of all this. I’ll do whatever you think would help, but I just dunno.”

 

Ella sighed and slumped her shoulders over. “That’s it. Talk to you later.”

 

She got up and padded as quietly as she could to the bedroom and peeked in the doorway. Still sleeping. At least he wasn’t having nightmares. Ella went back to the kitchen and started whisking some eggs. How did angels like their eggs?

 

Ella looked up and raised a brow. “Are angels vegetarians? Or vegans! Maaan.”

 

It was nearly 10:00 when Michael emerged from the bedroom. His hair was a huge mess, some bits sticking up, others falling into his eyes, having crept up into thick curls.

 

“Hey, sleepyhead.” Ella pressed a puzzle piece into the jigsaw she’d broken out while she was waiting. “Your head looks better.”

 

He touched his forehead where a bandage had been. The wound was no longer open, and his eyes were less swollen, even if the dark smudges were still there. Obviously, no normal guy would’ve healed so much just from a good night’s sleep.

 

“How’s the side?” Ella got up and came over to him. “Can I see?”

 

“You’re the one who helped sew me back together, so I suppose you can.” Michael smiled softly. “Did I get your name? Yesterday is a bit of a blur.”

 

“Not surprised. You had a concussion for sure. I’m Ella.”

 

Michael nodded and lifted his shirt tail for her. Ella carefully peeked behind the wound dressing that she’d placed on his right side and examined it.  It was pink, but not dark red, and he only flinched slightly as her fingers brushed against it. Ella sighed in satisfaction. That was when she noticed how his lower abdomen was curving outward slightly. He’d been holding his hand over it the day before, so she hadn’t gotten a good look.

 

Now she had to wonder what that was about. He was so skinny otherwise.

 

“Wound looks okay. You said yesterday that you weren’t healing, but you seem to be now.”

 

“Good.” Michael bobbed his head and let out a sigh of relief.

 

“C’mon over to the kitchenette. I made breakfast, but I’m gonna have to nuke it. It’s cold now.” Ella stuck their plates in the microwave and then grabbed the OJ out of the fridge. “I uh, hope you aren’t a vegetarian.”

 

“I’m not.” Michael squinted as he looked around the apartment. “Why did you take me home? I can’t thank you adequately for the intervention on my behalf. I used too much energy. I…”

 

“The flowers? Or the hospitals?” Ella pushed the OJ over to him.

 

Michael’s brows furrowed as he wrapped his fingers around the glass. “I hurt so many people. I had to help.”

 

“How did you hurt them?”

 

“I… I’m the Voice. The majority of my power lies therein. I never knew what _losing control_ of that power could wreak on this Earth.”

 

“Okay.” Ella tried to process whatever that meant as and pulled his plate out of the microwave. She gave it to him with a fork. “Here ya go. Nuked eggs Florentine and potatoes. So you wore yourself out trying to help after the earthquake. Got it. Well, I took the day off, so we can just hang here while you recover.”

 

“That’s very kind of you.” Michael poked and his eggs, swallowed hard, and then reached for his juice.

 

“You okay, dude? You should eat. You’ve got to be hungry, right? Lucifer eats. Kind of a lot. He’s always stealing snacks from the precinct fridge.”

 

Michael jerked his head up. “You know my brother?”

 

“Yeah. I’ve worked with him for years.”

 

Michael straightened up and raked his eyes over her. His mind didn’t seem to be putting together the answer, so he just asked, “Are you a demon? You don’t _look_ like one. Your spirit is… You can’t be. You have a _soul_. An amazing one, actually.”

 

“I’m not a _demon_!” Ella shook her head. “And thanks, I guess. I’m the forensics monkey at the precinct. I help the detectives investigate murder cases by doing all the sciencey investigative stuff.”

 

“Ah. And Lucifer works there?” Michael’s eyes were growing so wide that Ella was starting to wonder what his relationship with Lucifer was like.

 

“I mean, he isn’t there right now. He disappeared off the face of the planet about six months ago, but he helped us with a ton of murder cases for like, three or four years, give or take.”

 

“That’s…” Michael put his fork down and seemed to give up the pretense of eating. “And the humans there, they weren’t afraid?”

 

“The humans at the station all love Lucifer. He was always a charmer. Really sweet with the unis,” Ella said. “Even went to church with me once.”

 

The level of Michael’s bafflement at that revelation was almost funny.

 

“He did whine a lot about that, though.”

 

“Huh.”

 

Ella ate her eggs with a few potatoes in each bite as she watched Michael prodding at his food. “Are you gonna eat, or am I gonna have to load up fork and feed you airplane style?”

 

Michael’s lips twitched. “No. That isn’t necessary. I just… I feel _funny_. I don’t think I’ve felt like this before. Maybe the pain obscured it.” He took a deep breath and then with and effort put a bite in his mouth.

 

Ella cringed watching him force himself to swallow.

 

“No _bueno_ , huh? I have some yogurt. Might be easier to get down?” Ella offered.

 

“I’m certain this will be fine.”

 

Ella waved a hand at him, grabbed his plate and put it behind her on the counter. “Don’t hurt yourself, dude. It’s just breakfast. As long as you eat _something_ , I don’t care what it is.”

 

Quickly, she set out some yogurt and a spoon for him.

 

“Smell it, first. Trust, I’ve had a lot of mornings in the past year where food seemed like my greatest enemy.” Ella patted his shoulder.

 

Looking at the cup as though it were a complex puzzle, Michael opened it and gave it a taste. Ella beamed when he took another mouthful without additional prompting. She could do this angel-sitting thing.

 

Michael licked the spoon and looked at her curiously. “Did _you_ have a child this year?”

 

“What? No way.” Ella laughed. “I had a lotta _tequila_ this year.”

 

Michael’s smile went from shy to anxious. “I’ve never been one for the revelries.”

 

Ella watched as he finished the cup, and then the juice, and then pressed a hand against his stomach, as though it might rebel from such a meager amount trying to nourish his insides. She’d have to keep him on yogurt and soup for a while. Until he got strong enough to keep heavier food down.

 

It was a start, though, and Ella shooed him off to go get cleaned up while she tidied the kitchen. When he returned, Michael had managed to tame his hair a big and had shaven his face clean (probably with a straight razor her brother had left at her place), a feat she’d never seen accomplished on Lucifer. The five o’clock shadow was practically part of Lucifer’s uniform.

 

Ella led him over to the sofa with her and turned on the TV news while she worked on her puzzle.

 

“You can fiddle with the channels, if you want.” Ella leaned over and picked up a puzzle piece. “I dunno if you have any favorite shows.”

 

“Oh, is this the picture box?” Michael raised a brow. “They have it in The Silver City, but I’ve never watched.”

 

Ella gaped. “ _Dude_. Do they call Heaven ‘The Silver City’?”

 

“The _city_ part, they do.” Michael blinked at the television, but then looked over the puzzle on the coffee table and selected a piece. He pressed it right into the correct spot, and then found another.

 

“Wicked. I’ve always loved these,” Ella said. “They relax me.”

 

“I don’t have the eye for patterns my little brother Uriel does, but I do find them interesting.”

 

“You’ve got a lot of brothers, huh? Uriel, Lucifer, Amenadiel…” Ella found another piece and chuckled. “I’ve only got the four, which for us down here, is kind of a lot. I came to L.A. originally to keep an eye on the one brother, Ricardo. He’s _so dumb_. But then there’s my oldest brother Jay, he looks out for all of us, you know? When he can. We’re a little spread out because the rest of the fam is in Detroit, and it’s hard to keep track of each other when you’re so far away.”

 

“Very true.”

 

“Has it been a long time since you and Lucifer hung out?”

 

“Eons.”

 

Ella grimaced. “Sucks. I haven’t talked to my brother Carlos since I moved out here. It’s not like I don’t love him or anything, but I trusted him with some sensitive stuff, and he kind of _betrayed_ me. It makes me feel dumb to want to connect with him again, because it’s like, fool me once, right?”

 

“He… _betrayed_ you?” Michael set a piece down and curled both arms around himself.

 

“Sort of. I told him about… Well, this thing I can do. I’ve been able to do it since I was eight, and I pretended that I _didn’t_ do it anymore, because my family sent me to a shrink for it. But after I told him, he used it against me to get me to do things, like, working his own angle and getting me to cover for him. And then my mom found out anyway, and made me go back on the meds.”

 

Ella went quiet. She didn’t want to divulge too much. She didn’t really know this guy, after all, and she really just wanted him to feel safe and calm until he felt he was ready to go home. Like, Heaven? That was probably where an angel would be headed.

 

“Meds?” Michael asked.

 

“Oh, um. Medication. I swear, I’m safe to be around, but my family had me involuntarily committed once. Do you know what that means?” She looked up to see his head shaking and his eyes lined with concern. “It’s not that bad. It was just… They take you to this place with boring walls, and you have to stay there while they observe you. I wasn’t trying to get out or anything, but it was pretty scary when visiting hours were over, and they left me alone. I kind of don’t like to think about it.”

 

Michael’s fingers crept over his lips and then in what seemed like a rush of movement, both hands were clamping over his mouth. Ella found herself rising and stepping away almost instinctively, even though all she wanted to do was rush to him and hug that terrified expression off his face. Red bloomed wetly at his right side, spreading through his clothes.

 

What had just _happened_? His eyes were beginning to brighten and glow, and he bowed over himself, as though struggling to keep whatever was inside of him tamped down hard.

 

“Take it easy, okay?” Ella said. “It’s gonna be all right!”

 

He leapt up and bolted for the window, which he jerked open with one hand just in time for a cacophonous, pained cry to issue forth from his mouth. Ella stumbled as the world started to shift, and she realized _exactly_ what Michael had been so worried about before.

 

Falling to her knees several times, Ella made her way over to Michael and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She squeezed tightly, saying over and over again, “You’re okay. You’re _safe_ ,” even if she didn’t know it was at all true.

 

And it seemed to work. He collapsed to his knees, eyes wet with tears and looked back at her, panting and shaking.

 

“I’m sorry,” he managed hoarsely.

 

“It’s okay. I got ya, bro.” Ella curled into his side and held him close to her as the light began to fade from his eyes.

 

She needed help. Medicinal hugs and OJ were not gonna cut it.


	5. Came in Like a Holy Wrecking Ball

It was a nice day in Hell.

 

Which was to say, the ash wasn’t too thick, and the skies were merely dark and overcast. Apparently, after the king had just returned, Hell’s skies had raged. Torrential rains and winds. Ash collecting in muddy streams through the paths of the surface.

 

If Maze were less busy, she’d be amused by how damn dramatic Lucifer was when he missed Chloe. The demons had gotten off easy, though. If Lucifer had access to a piano, things could’ve gotten a lot worse for them.

 

Her time down here had thus far been productive. Vunnoth and the other Lilim had been rounding up anyone loyal to this “angel” who had been giving orders, mostly in Lucifer’s absence. The bulk of them had stopped listening to the rogue angel once Lucifer returned. They _didn’t_ like the guy. That much was clear. And he was a coward. According to Raz, the angel hadn’t even tried to recruit any Dre’thkarim.

 

Probably wise in the long run. They were so far beyond other demons that none would challenge them… but they had always been unfailingly loyal to Lucifer. Even more than the Lilim, who almost all treated him with the reverence most angels saved for God. Assuming that God was sometimes down to pound, if he were in a good mood. Not that Maze would ever share that comparison with him. Lucifer hated being worshipped. Obeyed, good. Worshipped, never.

 

With the traitors collected in one of the spare rooms in the new mountain by the tar pits (called by the legions now as the Quisling Peaks), Maze had visited Lucifer’s personal rooms and looked through his own findings. He’d been hunting the culprits down here himself. The Lilim hadn’t yet figured out what had gotten Lucifer so bent out of shape this time, but Maze had gathered enough to realize that there was more than one angel involved in this: The one in charge of the conspiracy, and one that had been kidnapped here in Hell while Lucifer had been gone.

 

And that would’ve driven Lucifer to distraction. This cruelty, to an innocent, under his roof.

 

Moving through the lesser used corridors of the underground, Maze followed a path that Lucifer had probably tread himself before all of this had started. She touched the walls and scented where Lucifer had been. Then, there were the bloody feathers that floated in the air occasionally. She picked one up and smelled it.

 

Before her eyes, she could see again those flashing, bright eyes. Hear his gentle but powerful voice. While Lucifer was a reactive fighter for the most part, using your moves against you as well as whatever happened to be within his reach, _this_ angel was fast and sleek and had no problem initiating attack. Maze had used the strategy for the former and then been bested, easily, by the latter.

 

He had been down here. Maze followed the blood and the feathers, until the passageway opened into a large chamber. She pressed her hands to the railing and gaped at the sight before her as she stared down into a large pit. Piles and piles of severed angel wings. She knew they could grow back, of course, but… there were _so many_. And from what Lucifer had said, they grew back every few days.

 

This was… It was more than torture. One angel had actively clipped the wings of another to keep him from escaping.

 

After descending through the pit and pushing the wings aside (trying, desperately, not to think of having to cut Lucifer’s wings off of him and how painful that had been even when it was his _choice_ ), Maze approached a pillar engraved in ancient demonic runes. Around it, the ground was soaked through with blood. It stank of sweat and pain. The chains lying nearby had been broken.

 

Lucifer’s scent was strong here, too. This was where he’d found the other angel.

 

“You are curious, Nazikeen?”

 

The chilling voice of Abaddon caused prickles to go up Maze’s back. She hadn’t even sensed the Dre’thkarim behind her, but she knew Abaddon’s voice. It was impossible not to know the unsettling tenor of it. Or mistake her inability to pronounce certain letters _without lips_. Maze turned, and Abaddon stood, tall and resolute, her eyes flickering around at the piles of wings.

 

“There certainly were others. They would have been burned,” Abaddon continued. One skeletal hand reached for a wing and plucked a stray feather which glowed lightly between her fingers. The edge of her lipless mouth twitched. “But it would be difficult to do so without being noticed. Hence… the effluviun. Keeping the Archangel bound for thousands of years is no small task.”

 

Her feathers arched upward and ruffled as she knelt by the pillar and touched the ground. “When the Norningstar found him, he had been beaten. A hooked blade had been buried in his side, to keep him _weak_. Keep him fron healing enough to escape. The vile creature we seek is no equal to either of the twins, if any of the Heavenly host ever were, so the captor had to ensure Nichael could not free hinself.”

 

_Twins_. Maze was a little annoyed. It was so _obvious_. She just hadn’t thought of it because Lucifer hadn’t never talked about his twin. But denial was _his_ main coping mechanism.

 

“You were there, after Lucifer found him?” Maze kept her hands idle at her sides and tried to remain in a passive position. No need to antagonize Abaddon.

 

A slow, graceful nod. “I was tasked by the Norningstar with keeping eyes on the legions of Hell, should they choose to rebel again in his absence. He could not abide his twin residing in this place any longer. Though the Archangel is far too dangerous to walk the Earth.”

 

“We’ve definitely figured _that one_ out topside. Complete with mass destruction and a spectacular kicking of my ass.” Maze crossed her arms. “I can see Lucifer’s brothers doing this to _him_. I just have a harder time thinking of them doing this to _each other_. What’s to gain? They’re all so terrified of crossing God.”

 

“Not all were,” Abaddon pointed out. “Or there would have been no rebellion. The Norningstar reveals desire. He does not cause it. The unrest in Heaven was and is largely the doing of the Presence hinself, but he chooses to let it play out, rather than stopping it. For this, the Fallen have never forgiven hin.”

 

“I thought God wiped out the other rebels,” Maze said.

 

“Nearly all of the rebels. Yes.” Abaddon turned and began to climb the stairs. “They were the lucky ones, as it turns out.”

 

Maze swept a final glance around this brutal crime scene. Then, she followed Abaddon.

 

* * *

 

Usually, when Lucifer woke up with his world being rocked, he could at _least_ count on it being a good way to start the day. When it resulted in the Detective’s offspring shrieking in fear, much less so.

 

Wings bursting from his back, Lucifer pulled both Chloe and Trixie tightly to his chest and held them there, shielding them from falling objects, until the scream passed. Because that’s what it _was_. It was the scream of an archangel. The scream of his twin brother, who had been held captive in Hell for thousands and thousands of years.

 

Lucifer could still see that stray, bloodied feather that had drifted to the surface somehow along with the perpetual floating ash. It hadn’t been Abaddon’s, for certain, as she never seemed to lose her feathers or die of blood loss. And it hadn’t been his own, despite looking so similar in texture and color.

 

The world stilled quickly. Not a long scream after all. And Lucifer shrugged away his wings before Trixie could see them properly. The girl still looked confused, but Chloe did not, and she murmured her thanks as she rose to see the damage to their home.

 

“Do I have to go to school, Mom?” Trixie asked. “There’s earthquakes, and also I’m like two hours late.”

 

“No, I think we’d better keep you home until this is all over,” Chloe said. “Go get your shoes on, though, until I’ve cleared the broken glass off the floors. And check your room.”

 

Trixie bobbed her head and disappeared into her room.

 

Lucifer went into the kitchen with her. “Very well, then. Earthquake day for the offspring. Meanwhile, I’m going to have to head out. Amenadiel _still_ hasn’t called, and things aren’t improving in the slightest.”

 

“I could go out with you,” Chloe suggested as she swept up some glass.

 

“It’s _dangerous_. My brother, he’s not in control, you know?”

 

“Yeah, I get that. And _you_ haven’t been either.” Chloe leaned back against the counter.

 

“I’ve been a bit tired. It’ll be _fine_.”

 

“I _know_. That was why I tried to keep you here last night—“

 

“Yes, and Michael’s still out there. Alone, and scared, and… another _scream_ , Detective. He’s the _Voice of God._ When he loses it, reality _shudders_.”

 

“The Voice. He mentioned that. He also said he was half of creation and destruction.”

 

“Ah. Well, he’s the creations bit, anyway.”

 

Chloe sucked in her lips and eyed him. “Does that make you destruction?”

 

“Obviously.” Lucifer gave a half-bow and a half-smile. “The Devil, at your service.”

 

“Apparently, creation can do a lot of damage, too.”

 

“I suppose. A few flowers aren’t a big hurdle. But if Michael suddenly decided California ought to return to being a huge bloody forest, he doesn’t need _my_ go-ahead to destroy things.”

 

“That… Does not make me feel better.”

 

“It doesn’t make _anyone_ feel better,” Azrael said as she appeared behind him. “This is the biggest mess since Uriel stole my blade.”

 

Lucifer looked back at her. She was decked out in black, as per usual, but with a bonus hoodie and running shoes.

 

“That little incident with Uri wasn’t a picnic for any of us, if you recall. Is this appearance for my benefit, Rae Rae, or can everyone see you?”

 

“Who is that?” Chloe asked, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. “And how did she get in here? The doors are locked.”

 

Rae Rae raised her brows.

 

“My little sis is the Angel of Death. She doesn’t need a key.”

 

“Angel of _Death_?” Chloe echoed, her eyes bugging out in disbelief. That veneer of calm around Celestial matters only stretched so far, then.

 

“Look, I can’t stick around. Do you have any idea how crazy it gets when there are unplanned deaths? Even more when there are people who were _supposed_ to die, but _don’t_?” Azrael shook her head and came up to them. “It’s a huge crazy clusterfeather out there. First, quakes that weren’t supposed to happen. Then, Michael flits around a bunch of hospitals and _heals everyone_ , whether they got hurt in the quakes or not! There are demons crawling around—not possessions, _actual demons_. I’ve smote every one I can find, but they’re _quick_. And they’re creepy. I’m exhausted.”

 

“I bet you are,” Lucifer said. “Do you know where he is? I can pick ‘im up for us.”

 

Azrael spread her palms. “I directed Ella into his path. He’s with her now, but I’m not sure where they’ve gone to. She was looking after him, but they left her place.”

 

“You hooked him up with Ella? Rae Rae, our dear, sweet Michael is a _holy wrecking ball_ right now.”

 

“She can handle him, Lu,” Azrael argued. “She handles _you_.”

 

“Ella has _hardly_ seen me at my worst,” Lucifer snapped.

 

“ _I_ have,” Chloe interrupted.

 

“Hi!” Azrael gave a little wave.

 

“Hi.” Chloe smiled at her and touched Lucifer’s arm. “And as the only _human_ here who has actually dealt with this kind of thing, _I_ think Ella can handle him. She’s _always_ believed in angels and God. She was pretty excited, seeing the reports of a guardian angel. Furthermore, the only person I’ve known who couldn’t get along with her was Cain himself.”

 

“Ugh,” Lucifer and Azrael said in unison.

 

“I’m gonna text Ella and see what happens. Then, maybe I drop Trixie off with Dan. He already texted me and said he put out a BOLO for Michael.” Chloe patted his shoulder when Lucifer frowned. “I _know_. But he was worried when we found Michael, and that’s when he thought Michael was _you_. Now that he knows it’s some innocent guy out there hurt, he’s gonna be the cop he is and try to help. Besides, we could use the extra eyes.”

 

Azrael laughed and snorted a little.

 

“Graceful, sis,” Lucifer said.

 

“What’s funny about that?” Chloe asked.

 

“It _isn’t_. Michael’s missing his wings, just now, and a small number of angels, including Michael, have extra eyes on their wings.” Lucifer shrugged as Chloe gaped in horror. “My guess is that he can barely see right now. So _he_ could use some extra eyes, too.”

 

* * *

 

Linda didn’t normally have trouble focusing during sessions, but between Charlie starting to _crawl_ , earthquakes of possibly Celestial origins, and her sort of Devil-in-Law/former patient lost in L.A. and probably expecting, there was a lot on her mind.

 

Luckily, people tended not to show when the city was being shaken apart by earthquakes. Linda had canceled most of her appointments that morning, apart from a few patients who were okay coming to her house. She was alone while Amenadiel was tracking Lucifer with Maze, and she had no intention of risking Charlie while these earthquakes were happening.

 

She’d been struggling not to think about all of this while her patient Todd talked about his controlling mother (also, trying not to compare this to the ultimate evil mother-in-law who was thankfully in another universe or something), when another earthquake happened. Linda dove for Charlie and held him close as she encouraged her patient to stay still. Oddly, the boy didn’t cry at all. He just looked around curiously and babbled.

 

After encouraging Todd to stay put for a little while in case of aftershocks and sending him to the kitchen to get some coffee, Linda checked her messages to find that Ella had called her, asking for a session ASAP.

 

Normally, she wouldn’t take friends as clients, but she knew, vaguely, that Ella had some issues she was working out in therapy, and if her own therapist had canceled on her, she might just need someone to talk to. Thus, Linda invited Ella to come over.

 

11:32am—Ella showed up, leading a frazzled-looking Lucifer to her door.

 

“Lucifer!” Linda rushed from the window to the door and opened it for them. “God, we’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

 

“Actually,” Ella said. “Long story, and I super, _super_ hope you know a lot of this already, or _shame_ on Amenadiel. But this _isn’t_ Lucifer. It’s his twin brother, Michael.”

Linda gaped as she stepped back for them to enter.

 

“Are we alone?” Ella asked. “Um, it might not be so _bueno_ if someone else hears this stuff.”

 

“My last patient just left,” Linda said.

 

“Is she a doctor?” Michael stepped away from both of them.

 

Ella reached for his arm and gave him a squeeze. “Not _that_ kinda doctor. Though, man, I _wish_ I had a doc who could specialize in angels right now.”

 

“Right. I am _not_ that kind of doctor.” Linda sighed and gestured to the sofa. “It’s nice that _someone_ can remember that. And I do know ‘this stuff.’ Lucifer told me a while back, and I’ve been in on more than you’d imagine.”

 

Michael took a seat, as he looked around the room. His eyes fixed on the bubble wrap on her rafters.

 

“So… _You’re_ the one who took out Maze?” Linda asked.

 

Michael squinted behind his glasses as though he were memorizing everything in her house. Could angels go near-sighted? Ella patted his arm, and he glanced up at Linda.

 

“Hm?”

 

Linda sat in the chair next to the sofa and folded her hands. “You fought with Maze?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re asking me. What kind of doctor are you?” He started looking around again.

 

“I’m a psychiatrist. I deal with…” Linda hesitated. Was he _really_ the one causing all of the chaos? It seemed impossible. He was actually quite soft-spoken and so vulnerable-looking. “Well, essentially, treating emotional and mental suffering, with a focus on behavioral intervention and when necessary, pharmaceutical.”

 

Linda shrugged at Ella. “I thought you were calling me in for a session. For you. Though, I really shouldn’t take on any more patients who are personal friends.”

 

“I didn’t know what to say! Especially if you _didn’t_ know. I’ve had him for, uhh, less than 24 hours, and my brain’s breakin’ juuuuust a lil bit.”

 

Linda nodded. “I remember what that was like. We should start a support group!”

 

“Celestial Adjacent Anonymous,” Ella joked.

 

Michael tented his brows as his eyes ping-ponged between them.

 

“Sorry, Michael.” Linda smiled at him warmly. “To your other question: Maze is a demon who used to work for Lucifer and is now a family friend.”

 

“Oh. I may have fought her. All kinds of demons have been hunting me up here.” Michael pinched his lips to the side. “Does she look human and wear very tight pants?”

 

“That’s our Maze,” Ella said, pressing her hand to her heart.

 

A bit worrying that this mild-mannered man could so easily take out one of the fiercest fighters Linda had ever known.

 

“Yeah, so I didn’t want you for me, but more for Michael. Not for the medical stuff, but for the angel stuff and also—“ Ella tapped her temple, causing Michael to frown more deeply. “No offense. I mean, he’s not crazy or anything, but this goes deep, and I know you helped Lucifer…”

 

Linda collected herself and suggested: “Maybe you two could tell me a little bit about the problem—“

 

“I _can’t_ talk about it,” Michael said abruptly. He shook his head rapidly. “I… can’t _think_ about it. I just can’t. Enough people have been hurt.”

 

“Yeah. I reminded him of what happened, I guess, and—“ Ella threw her hand up. “Angelquake!”

 

“I am so, so sorry.” Michael rubbed a hand over his mouth.

 

“And _bleeding_. Like, I thought he was _healing_ , y’know? And suddenly, his injuries are opening up again.” Ella sounded overwhelmed. Linda could relate, but at the same time, Ella had no right to be handling all this as well as she was. “It was bananas, and I have _no idea_ what to do with wounds that are _psychosomatic_.”

 

“Oh! _That_ I can help with!” Linda leaned forward and pressed her palms together. “We’ve figured a few things out about how angels ‘work’ over the years, and psychosomatic isn’t a bad way to describe things. We’ve been calling it ‘self-actualization,’ and both Lucifer and Amenadiel have been through it.”

 

* * *

 

A few hundred years had passed, and while matters had yet to settle—nor would they, until Lucifer came back—Maze had found the alliance between the Dre’thkarim and the Lilim extremely fruitful in ferreting out the dregs of whatever demon factions had delusions of playing their own angle against Lucifer.

 

She knew _who_ they had kept down in that pit, she had an inkling of _why_ they had done so, and she knew that more than one angel had been a part of this plan. She just didn’t know who… yet. Or how they thought it would _work_ if they succeeded.

 

Though, Michael _was_ pregnant, so they _had_ , obviously.

 

Maze stood at the window of Lucifer’s chambers, looking out on the expanses of Hell. It was growing all the time, but it was still so strange to her to see the changes. Around her waist snaked a strong, pale arm, and Maze rested her hand over the long fingers. She didn’t look back, but breathed in deep, knowing she would miss this. This sense of purpose. The mission. The sex.

 

Who knew Dre’thkarim were practically Lilim in the sack.

 

“I can take you the gate whenever you wish,” Abaddon said. “Anenadiel waits for you there still. Squattervloat is likely driving him to distraction vy now.”

 

There was very little softness in Abaddon. From first glance, there was absolutely none. She was a warrior of death, absolutely lethal. More of her body seemed calcified bone than soft, supple flesh. There was humor, though. Not puerile, like so many demons were, but dry, and _wicked_. It had been years before Maze had even picked up on her humor and even longer before she sensed the exquisite pain that lived under the twisted skins of every Dre’thkarim. Abaddon’s pain burned deeper and brighter than any of her brethren’s.

 

Anyway, Abaddon was right. Squatterbloat was one of the most irritating gate guardians in his legion. Almost as annoying as Squee had been. He was one of the demons that still held to rhyming formalities. It had been all the rage in about a dozen or so legions about a thousand years ago. Entire groups of demons, talking in quatrains and villanelles for centuries. Drove Lucifer up the wall.

 

“Maybe… Another hour or so wouldn’t matter to anyone topside.”

 

Maze’s lips curved as she looked up at Abaddon. Skeletal fingers stroked the demonic side of Maze’s face, teasing over exposed muscle and tendon and bone. Abaddon never shied away from that part of her. It was something the two of them understood all too well.

 

Abaddon was smiling. Slight dimples in the hollows of her cheeks gave her away, though it was unlikely that anyone would recognize the expression for what it was. Maze pressed the soft flesh of her human lips against Abaddon’s mouth, and Abaddon ran a hand down her back.

 

It was a match made in Hell.

 

* * *

 

“There’s one at the door of eternal damnation—“ Squatterbloat gurgled.

 

“I know! Shut up!” Amenadiel bellowed.

 

“And there’s room for one more until the end of creation,” he continued.

 

Amenadiel groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

Squatterbloat made a clicking noise deep in his throat. “Greetings, my clown, and who might you be?”

 

“I’m the same person!”

 

“Where’s your _gown_?”

 

Amenadiel reached through the gate and clenched his hand around the semi-gelatinous tendrils dangling from his mouth.

 

“I do not need to be greeted, now or ever again.” He met Squatterbloat’s bulging eyes, then let go and wiped his hand on his shirt. Ugh. _Demons_.

 

The sound of wings above attracted Amenadiel’s attention, and when he looked up, one of the most strange and bizarre creatures he’d ever seen in Hell was descending with its arms wrapped around Maze. Amenadiel spread his feet into a stronger stance, and he raised his fists in anticipation.

 

“Don’t get your manties in a wad,” Maze said as the creature touched them down to the ground. “I just needed a ride out of Hell.”

 

“You are looking well, DeeDee,” the towering creature drawled through a grimace of lipless teeth.

 

“What did you just call me?” Amenadiel didn’t relax his stance. “I thought these things couldn’t get out.”

 

“This is Abaddon. She’s Dre’thkarim, and that comes with special rights and privileges.” Maze came up to him and punched his shoulder. “And she’ll be guarding the gate until Lucifer gets back. If the assholes behind this come back, she’ll break them for us.”

 

She looked up at Abaddon. “But keep them alive, for questioning.”

 

“If I nust,” she ground out.

 

Amenadiel scowled at her and unfurled his wings. “Let’s go. We’ve been gone too long already.”

 

“Less than a day their time,” Maze said.

 

“That would be nore than enough tine for the Archangel to cause a crisis,” Abaddon said.

 

Amenadiel grimaced and reached from Maze, who’s eyes were still fixed on Abaddon.

 

“Go. I will be here.”

 

“I’ll be back.” Maze nodded and let Amenadiel wrap his arms around her. Abaddon’s garishly bloody feathers rustled, and they were gone.

 

* * *

 

“We need to play this carefully,” Maze said as they headed down the sidewalk. Unfortunately, Amenadiel had been less than focused on where he’d wanted to land. She’d wanted to drop down near Lux or Chloe’s place to set up a planning session. Of _course_ , he wanted to check in on Linda and his son, and as they walked, both of their phones were blowing up with messages.

 

“This is a lot to catch up on. And it’s very difficult to imagine Michael as a victim. He should have been able to take care of himself. Or at least get out without assistance.” Amenadiel shook his head. “If anyone was second to me as a warrior, it would be Michael. He’s powerful, smart, and holds a great deal of respect among all the angels. When it comes to the two of them, Lucifer is most definitely the _lesser_ twin.”

 

“Don’t let him hear you say that.”

 

“Lucifer or Michael?”

 

“ _Either_ of them for _any_ of that you just said. Just watch your mouth. You can be a patronizing ass sometimes.”

 

Maze shook her head. It was so hard to shift back into the way the Earth looked and felt. As Linda’s house came into view, Hell suddenly seemed very far away. Her best friend was here, and Charlie, and their whole life here in L.A.

 

Then, just as she stepped onto the walkway to the house, a dark-haired woman came into view. Her hair was shorter, and she was wearing tiny shorts and a tank top, as though she’d just been out jogging.

 

Did Eve _jog_? Why would she jog in Linda’s neighborhood?

 

Amenadiel frowned as he saw her and patted Maze on the shoulder as he made a beeline for the door.

 

“Hey, Maze!” Eve said in a sprightly voice.

 

Maze crossed her arms as she raked her eyes over Eve. Doe-eyed and genuine as ever. Had she been circling the block?

 

“Long time, no see.” Eve bit her lower lip.

 

“Yeah. Been out hunting bounties. And injured angels. Investigating a kidnapping in Hell.” Maze shrugged. “You know. The usual.”

 

Eve laughed. “Things have been pretty crazy here.”

 

“When did you get back in town?” Maze wanted to kick herself for even asking. She shouldn’t care. “Where did you go?”

 

“All kinds of places.” Eve pinched her lips to the side. “I still had access to some of Lucifer’s accounts, so I traveled for a while. I signed up for some classes. You know, general self-finding stuff.”

 

“And what did you find?” Maze asked flatly.

 

Eve shrugged her head to the side. “Well, I—“

 

An explosion of brick and splinters interrupted them as Amenadiel shot through the front of the house and soared across the street.


	6. Go Team Harem of Human Consorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Celestial planning session happens, and the characters won't shut up.

Bubble-wrapped fan blades whiffed against the air as Linda stopped speaking for a moment. She’d loaded Michael down with a lot of details, and he’d seemed quiet even before she’d started dropping the Celestial bombs.

 

“Okay, I’ll say it,” Ella said. “Wow.”

 

Michael half-smiled, but his brows were drawing together again. His expression seemed almost permanently worried, or serious. Or both. Linda was having difficulty reading him, both because she had no idea what he’d been through and because her brain kept trying to correct what she was seeing into something that would make sense on Lucifer’s face.

 

But Lucifer rarely, if ever, looked like this. God, the man even smiled when he was about to _cry_.

 

Speaking of which, Charlie took that moment to start wailing. Linda glanced at the baby monitor, then back at her angelic patient, who seemed alarmed.

 

“I’ll be right back,” she promised.

 

When she returned, Charlie in tow, Michael’s eyes lit up and a lopsided grin crept over his lips.

 

“Hello… Who is this?”

 

“This is Charlie!” Linda said. Charlie stopped crying, more interested in the visitors now that he was being held, and put his hand in his mouth. “He’s my little boy. Well, mine and Amenadiel’s.”’

 

Michael’s eyes went round as saucers. “ _Amenadiel_ had him?”

 

Ella laughed. “No, dude. _Linda_ did. Man, can you imagine what Amenadiel would be like pregnant?”

 

“Having seen what he’s like when he just had a mild flu, I’d rather not.” Linda returned to her chair and sat Charlie in her lap. Charlie stared intently at Michael, then reached out for him. “Gosh, he likes you!”

 

“Maybe he thinks I’m Lucifer,” Michael said. “You said he got his face back, didn’t you? Honestly, I was imagining Ella working alongside Sammy with how he looked when he fell… I didn’t know he could put the face away. Though, much of Amenadiel’s complaints about his vacations take on a different connotation this way.”

 

“Wow. Yeah, Devil walking the Earth would be a lot more alarming if he didn’t look like a lanky male model,” Ella said.

 

“Amenadiel’s concerns seemed more reasonable when I thought Sammy looked cursed.” Michael shook his head. “Now, if I understand correctly, our brother was upset that he was… actually on vacation.”

 

“I do love him, but Amenadiel was very strict in his interpretation of what your father wanted back then,” Linda said, holding Charlie’s arm. “And less than divine about how he accomplished it.”

 

“That sounds more like my brother.” Michael leaned over and took Charlie’s hand. “He shouldn’t be able to produce a child, even with self-actualization. It’s never happened before. And never is a long time, with us.”

 

“Well…” Linda nodded slightly. “I mean, in your case…”

 

“I have the Demiurge. Half, anyway.” Michael pulled his hand back and curled his arms around himself. “It’s the power of creation itself—That’s hard to understand, I think… Our mother was the Goddess of Creation, and Dad was pretty determined to keep his children from inheriting that however. Lucifer is the only one who comes close.”

 

“ _Lucifer_ could get pregnant?” Linda bit back a smile.

 

“I… Huh. Probably _not_. I can’t imagine my brother being foolish enough to try with _Sammy_. More to the point, I’m probably the only angel who _could_ get pregnant.” He paused to smile at Charlie again. “It seems more likely that Dad wanted Charlie to be here. He’s used Amenadiel as a conduit to bring children to Earth before. Never his own, or without his knowing, but it’s not beyond the realm of comprehension. And it isn’t like he had me to deliver the message to Amenadiel at the time.”

 

“Huh. That’s… _disturbing_. Can’t say I’m looking forward to family reunions.”

 

Michael chuckled. That was when Linda realized that Michael had, with much more finesse than Lucifer ever had, completely diverted attention from his own problems to something else.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m not following,” Ella said. “Did you say, well, imply, that you’re _pregnant_?”

 

“Seem to still be,” Michael said softly. “Probably thanks to you. Things weren’t going so well when you found me.”

 

Ella’s jaw hung open for a good, long time. Michael raised his brows and tilted his head to the side. Finally, she shook her head and looked at Linda.

 

“How is _this_ the thing tripping me up the most?!”

 

“I think you’ll find it comes in waves.” Linda didn’t want to point out that Ella hadn’t even seen Lucifer’s Devil-face yet. “Here.” She stood and lifted Charlie up. “Why don’t you—?”

 

“Are you sure?” Michael kept his eyes fixed on Charlie’s wiggling form in concern.

 

“I am.” Linda deposited him into Michael’s arms and smiled as they curled protectively and supportively around him. “There you go. Lucifer was only able to hold him for about five seconds.”

 

“Yeah, dude is seriously uncomfortable around kids,” Ella said.

 

Michael’s mouth pinched together as he got Charlie comfortable on his lap, but then a wide, brilliant smile stretched across his face. “I don’t think any of us have much experience with children…”

 

“That’s a pretty safe assumption,” Linda muttered.

 

“Is that why you have fluffy plastic on your ceiling?”

 

“Honestly, yes. The idea of a baby with wings terrified me.”

 

“If the form of our wings is truly psychosomatic, maybe they’ll come when he reaches maturation.” Michael bit his lip as Charlie babbled and wrapped his hand around one of Michael’s fingers.

 

“Great, teenage angel flying around,” Ella said.

 

Michael’s smile suddenly faded, and he glanced around once more before standing suddenly.

 

“Michael, maybe I should—“ Linda reached for Charlie, wanting him out of range if Michael had another episode.

 

“Something’s here.” He shifted Charlie onto his hip and held him tightly. “Get behind me.”

 

“Wha—“ Linda jumped as some _thing_ made of arms and eyes crawled in from the kitchen.

 

Then, it was some _things_. They came down from the rafters and from the other rooms and were joined by bulbous blue slugs that left caustic trails burning through her hardwood.

 

“Jesus Christ!” Linda shrieked.

 

“What _are_ those?” Ella asked, doing as he’d asked and ducking behind him.

 

“Quellers and Graustraug. Low-level demons,” Michael answered. “I’m sorry, they’re here for me. I can take them, but we have to get _you_ out of here.”

 

He put Charlie back into Linda’s arms and shot forward, grabbing one of the demons by its many arms and throwing it so hard that it sent a slew of its brethren sprawling onto their backs.

 

“Be careful!” Ella cried.

 

Michael pushed his glasses up on his nose and cut a path for them to the door. Ella shrieked as one of the blue things started to grow. It swelled and stretched, making burbling noises, and absorbed two of the little crawly demons before shooting up again and lunging at Michael.

 

“No!” Linda gasped.

 

But Michael didn’t even flinch. He flattened his hand and swiped at the creature with a force that cut deep into its undulating flesh. It screamed, as did the other blue creatures, which began quickly gobbling up their many-armed compatriots and circling around them.

 

“Run!” Michael advised, pushing Ella toward the door.

 

Linda moved to do just that, but a dozen hands grabbed at her ankle. Michael swept back and caught Charlie just before he tumbled from her arms. Linda was just about to thank him, when the blue demons descended on Michael en masse. Her heart leapt into her throat. She could hear the sizzling of their slime against his flesh.

 

Ella grabbed an umbrella from by the door and started beating on the creatures. “Get! Off! Him! He’s! In! A family! Way!”

 

“Just run!” Michael ordered again.

 

Tucking Charlie close to his body, he turned to face the demons and began attacking. Sharp, calculated strokes and kicks. It took several minutes to shake them loose, during which his glasses fell to the floor and broke. Only a few of the crawling demons were left, and the blue ones had started to merge together. With one hand, he lifted up the sofa and swung it at the swelling blob.

 

Linda could tell from his panting that the blue slime pained him. She just wished she could get closer. Get to Charlie. Get them _out_ of here.

 

Then, the door opened, and Amenadiel stepped in. She breathed a sigh of relief, but then… his wings unfurled and Michael spun around, eyes wide in terror as he rushed blindly at Amenadiel and threw him through the front of the house.

 

* * *

 

Maze blinked twice at Amenadiel’s prone form before grabbing him and pulling him to his feet. Then, she punched his bicep hard enough that he would remember this for _days_.

 

“What did I _just_ tell you? Watch your mouth!” Maze shouted.

 

“I didn’t even _say_ anything!” Amenadiel protested. He pulled away from her and ran back toward the house. “Linda!”

 

“I’m here!” Linda came out of the hole.

 

“Where is he?” Amenadiel demanded. “I’ll kill him!’

 

Maze spotted the tears on Linda’s face and pushed past Amenadiel.

 

“Hey!”

 

“What happened?” Maze put her hands on Linda’s shoulders. “Are you okay? Where’s Charlie?”

 

“Michael’s got him,” Ella answered, picking her way out of the house.

 

“He heard your wings,” Linda sobbed. “He couldn’t see, he—he was just trying to fight those _things_ …”

 

“They followed him,” Ella said. “Man, for a pregnant dude, he is faaaast!”

 

“What things?” Maze asked. “Describe.”

 

Maze listened, snaking her arm around Linda and holding her close. “Okay. I’m going after—“

 

She heard the wings before she saw them. Dammit. Now Michael was just going to run faster.

 

Maze bolted through the house and the backyard. Following the trail of slime and destruction, she honed her senses down to the scents of Michael and Charlie, but two new scents from the Heavens were distracting. Two new angels, and who knew whose side these assholes were on?

 

She ran into a huge pool of Graustraug remains first, very nearly topping into the edge of it. The angel Duma swooped down and stuck another with his slim sword, deflating the creature. The other angel, dressed in leathers and fighting with a spear, Maze didn’t recognize, but she took out a large one in front of her and a smaller one creeping up behind.  That done, she turned on Maze and brandished her spear.

 

“You know you’re drawing the attention of _the whole neighborhood_ , right?” Maze said. “And Michael is getting away!”

 

“Silence, foul demon! You will soon join your brethren,” the angel shouted.

 

“I’m not Graustraug, you idiot. I’m Lilim.” Maze sneered as she gestured to her face. “I can do the glamoury thing, which means Lucifer lets me up here.”

 

The angel shoved her spear forward, but Duma caught the back of it, stilling her attack. She looked at him angrily.

 

“Brother, she is a demon!” she protested.

 

Duma rolled his eyes, then turned to point behind Maze. Amenadiel was approaching at a run.

 

“Put your wings away!!”

 

Both angels tucked their wings away and touched down to the ground like a pair of scolded children.

 

Maze rolled her eyes. “Hard to believe you chucklefucks haven’t managed to get control of _one_ angel yet.”

 

“The Archangel is no ordinary warrior of God,” Snotty Spear Angel said.

 

“True enough, Remiel, but we need to move this discussion _inside_.” Amenadiel gestured back toward Linda’s house.

 

“We need to follow Michael!” Maze said.

 

Remiel raised her spear again. “As if I would allow our brother to fall back into demon hands!”

 

“It isn’t the _demons_ you need to worry about!”

 

“Oh really?” Remiel gestured toward to pool of goo starting to seep into the ground. With the occasional noxious bubble popping.

 

“I mean, yeah. They were obviously a _total_ match for Michael. He must’ve been so scared,” Maze drawled.

 

“He _was_ scared.” Amenadiel grabbed Remiel’s shoulder and guided her toward Linda’s yard. “But not of those things. It was me that set him off. Just the sound of my wings…”

 

“Right. Which is why _you_ can’t be the one who tracks him down,” Maze said.

 

“And why _you_ can’t be either,” Amenadiel pointed out. “He doesn’t know you. He attacked you the last time he saw you. Why would he trust _you_?”

 

Maze grunted in annoyance as they approached the house. Amenadiel opened the door for his brother and sister.

 

“Inside, now.”

 

Maze was the last inside, and she glanced back once more before entering the kitchen.

 

“Charlie?” Linda asked.

 

Maze threw her hands up. “These feathered idiots held me up and gave Michael a huge lead. But, y’know—“ She pointed to the hole in her house and then at the sofa now sitting on its side in the kitchen. “Looks like Mikey’s feeling better. He can probably take care of them both.”

 

Amenadiel put an arm around Linda’s shoulders. “But the demons are taken care of, so they should be relatively safe, for now. We need to find a way to approach him without causing him another… blow up.”  


“Or angelquake,” Ella said. “Is that goo really bad to have all over you?”

 

Maze shrugged. “It’ll burn. It won’t kill him, if he gets it off him. So, like, _naked_ angel with a baby.”

 

“This is like a family reunion,” Eve muttered as she drifted through the wreckage toward them.

 

Maze crossed her arms. She’d forgotten Eve was here. As though she didn’t have enough complications.

 

* * *

 

“Well, I reckon dear Twin _has_ been here just as Ms. Lopez texted,” Lucifer said as they pulled up to Linda’s house.

 

“You weren’t kidding about a holy wrecking ball.” Chloe got out of the passenger seat and led the way up the lawn.

 

Lucifer stepped in front of her as they reached the hole in the house and peered inside. Three angels, three humans, one demon. No Michael.

 

He knocked on the outside.

 

“Mind if we come in?”

 

“Oh! Lucifer!” Linda cried.

 

“Are you okay?” Eve asked.

 

Ella came running up to him and caught him in a hug before he could get away.

 

“They got the memo about me, right?” Lucifer asked Chloe. “That I’m not—?”

 

“Dude, what are you talking about? I haven’t seen you in _months_!” Ella said.

 

“Oh, right. Been rather longer for me as well.” He sighed. “It is good to have the chance to see you, even under these…. _Disgusting_ circumstances. Are these Graustraug tracks?”

 

“ _Your_ demons were all over this house,” Remiel accused. “And then spilled out into the lands nearby to track the Archangel. We ended them.”

 

“That must’ve been _delightful_. So sorry I missed it.” Lucifer got out his phone. “You’ll want to clean off your blades, fyi.” He gestured to his brother and sister for Chloe. “This is Remiel, angel of being stuffily annoying, and Duma, the angel of silence. That’s not a joke. He doesn’t talk, which makes him 90% more tolerable than most of my siblings.”

 

Duma bit back a grin.

 

Amenadiel came up to Lucifer’s side as he dialed. Chloe went to Linda and the two of them started whispering.

 

“Francisco! It’s Lucifer, of course. Need to call in a favor, if you don’t mind. I know, I know, the city has been in a bit of a state lately, but I need a clean-up crew out in surburbia for something quite toxic. Can’t let your boys touch it… Yes, this job done, and we’re definitely squaresies. It’ll take some doing, I’m sure. I’ll text you the location.”

 

He held up a finger to Amenadiel as he dialed again. “Hello, Kelly, darling! I know, it’s been quite the week, hasn’t it? True, I picked a Hell of a time to come back into town. Right, see, I need to cash in on that favor you owe me, and it’ll help you as well. See there’s been a bit of a _clusterfeather_ —“ Lucifer eyed Remiel and Duma, who stood there polishing their weapons in leather armor and a golden silk robe respectively.  “First, there’s been some kind of leak. I’ll text you the location. I’d like for you to do a kind of report on it—dealer’s choice on the explanation—as long as you can keep people from _touching_ it… Yes, and then second, there’s a cosplay event out here in suburbia. Lots of silly teenagers walking about in ridiculous costumes, some with wings.”

 

“Whoa. Slick, Luce.” Eva elbowed him and grinned.

 

“That was actually… Well-handled,” Amenadiel said.

 

“Right.” Lucifer put his phone away. “Let’s catch up, shall we? I don’t know enough about what’s happened here, and we’re wasting time.”

 

Linda folded her hands in front of her mouth. Ella started, spilling how she’d found Michael, to bringing him here to Linda. Eve looked between everyone, trying to catch up on what had been happening. (Why was she even _here_?) Maze listened, hands on hips. Lucifer could tell she had information from the focused expression on her face.

 

“I wish we’d had more time,” Linda said, almost apologetically. “I was hoping to work with him on a few techniques to calm and ground himself when he’s feeling overwhelmed. He _clearly_ has PTSD.”

 

“That is just a string of letters,” Remiel said, unimpressed.

 

“Letters that stand for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, primarily characterized by severe anxiety, heightened reactions to stressors, nightmares, mistrust, and flashbacks to a traumatic event or events,” Linda said firmly. “He is a clear-cut case, and the trauma is still too fresh to even work thought it with talk therapy. If he were human, I’d put him on medication and even allow avoiding whatever seems to trigger him. Among other things: _other angels_.”

 

Remiel curled her lip in offense. “We are his _siblings_. We know what is best for him.”

 

“Yeah, and it was _his siblings_ that did this to him,” Maze said. She looked up to Lucifer. “We pretty much confirmed it was angels when we rounded up the traitors in Hell.”  
  
“Angels _plural_?” Lucifer said. “I suppose the twin _is_ a two-angel job. Look how he did Amenadiel, one armed, injured—“

 

“He caught me off guard,” Amenadiel snapped.

 

“It isn’t possible,” Remiel said. “None of the Host would ever harm another.”

 

Maze rolled her eyes. “That’s not even _close_ to true.”

 

“I do not lie, _demon_.”

 

“That one—“ Maze jerked her thumb at Amenadiel. “Tried to murder Lucifer like three years ago.”

 

Remiel and Duma turned to stare at Amenadiel.

 

“Oh, get over it.” Lucifer waved them off. “ _I_ did.”

 

“Regardless of your brotherly squabbles, and I am certain Amenadiel had the best of intentions—“ Remiel said.

 

“As though that excuses fratricide, but do go on,” Lucifer quipped.

 

“We have more important matters to attend to,” Remiel finished.

 

“Yes. We have to find Michael and Charlie before anything else comes after them,” Amenadiel said.

 

“No! Duma and I have descended from the Silver City to collect Michael! We have to take him back up to Heaven in case he dies.” Remiel approached her brother. “He _cannot_ be allowed to expire on the same plane of existence as _Lucifer_.”

 

“Angels. There are _angels_ fighting around us,” Ella muttered to Linda.

 

“That’s _all_ they do when they get around each other,” Eve told her. “As bad as my boys.”

 

“He isn’t going to expire at all!” Lucifer snapped.

 

“He has been leaking _Demiurgic energy_ around the city! He could very well _die_ , and if that happens, you should be well aware that if Creation—“ Remiel held a hand up. “Meets Destruction—“ She slapped both hands together loudly. “The whole universe will be _erased_ and started over.”

 

“What?!” Linda said.

 

“Technically, yes. Theoretically, yes, that _could_ happen.” Lucifer tugged on his suit jacket indignantly. “But I don’t intend on letting _any of us_ die today. Unless of course, I am so lucky as to find whoever is responsible for keeping Michael captive in Hell all of this time.”

 

“Oh, it gets worse,” Maze added. “He wasn’t _just_ captive, or tortured.”

 

“I gathered that from the _interesting_ greeting I got from the Detective at my loft.”

 

“ _Yeah_. The Dre’thkarim and the Lilim found that whoever did this came and went, bringing human ova with him when he returned. He was trying to create new Celestials for thousands of years, and apparently, it wasn’t working. _None_ of the embryos were viable. Until recently.”

 

Lucifer felt a roiling unsteadiness deep in the pit of his stomach at that revelation. “He was using Michael’s bit of the Demiurge to create new angels. Inside of Michael.”

 

“Holy _shit_. That is _evil_ ,” Ella said. Chloe covered her mouth with one hand.

 

“To what purpose? Why would anyone want to do such a thing?” Amenadiel asked.

 

There were answers. Suggestions. But Lucifer didn’t hear most of them. All he could hear were Michael’s anguished noises as Lucifer descended the long staircase into the pit where he’d been bound for so long. He could smell the blood as he pulled the blade from Michael’s side, see the blank confusion and distrust in his brother’s eyes. He hadn’t _recognized_ Lucifer. What had he thought, after years of torment and violation at the hands of one brother, to see the other whose absence had made this abjection possible?

 

“Lucifer?” Chloe was at his side, clinging to his arm hard. Her eyes were wary as she looked up at him. “Take some deep breaths.”  


“Mindfulness is _not_ going to sate my anger on this one,” Lucifer growled. He hadn’t even realized he had been changing, but the voice usually came along with the other bits. He looked at his hands, and they were fine… He didn’t need to touch his face to know what the others were staring at.

 

Red, scorched flesh. Ridges along his scalp. Pronounced brow and chin. The face that was his but not him. Not all of him, anyway.

 

Remiel, the A-mini-diel warrior, had stepped back in utter terror. Duma’s eyes shone with fear, but also sadness. Linda’s and Eve’s were full of worry, and Ella… Poor Ella, with so much on her plate so quickly. Her mouth gaped, and her eyes, wide and wet, were almost unreadable. Her hands were trembling, half-raised in some aborted gesture, and she shook her head.

 

“Oh, God, Luce… We’re gonna _find_ him. Detective and forensics girl from the LAPD, _right here_ , okay?” she said. “Plus, lots of supernatural peeps here to cover all bases. We _got_ this!”

 

Lucifer could feel the heat ebbing from his face, letting the redness slip away along with the self-directed anger and fear. The others seemed to relax, slightly. He drew in a slow breath through his nose and let his head fall back.

 

“She’s right,” Chloe said. “But there are too many moving pieces for us to just run out and start tracking Michael at this point. We need to be smart. Whoever took Michael to begin with probably wants to get him back, especially if he knows his plan has finally started to work.”

 

“Shocker, stop torturing the host, and you don’t kill the baby for once,” Ella said. “So what’s the pattern? Why send demon slugs after him? Michael can handle himself.”

 

“Himself,” Linda said. “But _not_ his emotions.”

 

“Oh!” Eve said, clapping her hands together. “He’s trying to get Michael to use his powers so he can track him!

 

“That’s actually a good point.” Lucifer looked around at some of the blue guts on the floor. “Otherwise, this plan is rather stupid, isn’t it?”

 

“Exactly,” Linda said. “If this rogue angel wants to recapture him, he’ll have to find him first, and keep him distracted enough to have a shot.”

 

“W-we aren’t really going to let humans run this hunt, are we?” Remiel said, having finally recovered. She was still avoiding looking at Lucifer, however. “There is no point in listening to the babblings of your harem of human consorts.”

 

Chloe’s face pinched into truly epic levels of offense.

 

“The Detective has an _excellent_ closure rate,” Lucifer argued quickly, before the Chloe tried to break her hand on a well-deserving but immortal cheek. “She’s _so good_ , in fact, that I’ve _never_ had sex with her. Chew on that, slut-shamer.”

 

Amenadiel held up a hand. “Furthermore, she aided us before when Charlie was kidnapped as did Eve, if you recognize her. Linda has assisted us with Celestial matters for years. Trust me, it does benefit us to have agents here on Earth.”

 

“Yes, do can it, Remy. Wait until we’ve got a target to launch you at, at least,” Lucifer said.

 

“Wait…” Chloe held her hands up and looked down at the floor.

 

It was that look. The one where Chloe was assembling a theory, or digging out a piece of evidence that she’d forgotten or dismissed earlier. Oh, how Lucifer had missed that look. Almost as much as he’d missed that one she made when she was annoyed with him.

 

“What is it, Detective?”

 

“Do all of your brothers and sisters have cute nicknames?” Chloe asked. “Remy? Rae Rae. Uri... _Luci_.”

 

“Not everyone,” Amenadiel said. “I don’t have one. Nor Michael.”

 

“Apart from me, no one calls him ‘My,’” Lucifer explained. “But most do. Why do you ask?”

 

Chloe nodded slowly. “Then who’s ‘Sandy’? When I first ran into Michael at Lucifer’s place, he asked, ‘Are you with _Sandy_?’”

 

Amenadiel shook his head. “There is no Sandy.”

 

Lucifer clenched his jaw and fought. Hard. He was losing, surely, eyes flashing, probably. “There _was_ a Sandy. Sandalphon.”

 

“He was one of the rebels,” Remiel said. “But they were all killed.”

 

“Well, obviously, not _all_ of them,” Maze said.

 

“He was never in Hell. Not with _us_ ,” Lucifer ground out. “It was chaos. The _coward_ must have escaped before the judgment.”

 

Remiel seemed shaken. “I don’t see how that could be. How could Father let him go? Let him brutalize The Voice? The Archangel?”

 

Duma touched her shoulder, and for a moment, Lucifer felt sympathy for the girl. It stung to finally realize your father just didn’t give a damn.

 

“No need to worry about dear old Dad’s oversight on this one,” Lucifer declared, straightening the cuffs of his sleeves. “If Sandalphon is indeed alive, _I’m_ going to kill him.”


	7. You Gotta Have Faith, Faith, Faith (in the Devil)

 

“You _aren’t_ going to kill him, Lucifer,” Chloe said sternly.

 

“He betrayed, captured, and tortured my brother for _thousands_ of years,” Lucifer argued.

 

“And I’m _not_ suggesting that he shouldn’t be punished. But…” Chloe rubbed her palms together. “That _doesn’t_ have to be on you.”

 

“ _Someone_ has to do it.” Lucifer swept a glance around the room full of his friends and siblings. “And I’m creation’s fall guy on the whole punishment gig, so it really ought to be me.”

 

“It doesn’t _have_ to be.” Amenadiel sighed and came up to put a hand on Lucifer’s shoulder. “I am the oldest, brother, and in Father’s absence, discipline has always fallen to me.”

 

“Well, that’s a healthy family dynamic,” Linda muttered.

 

“Need I remind you, _brother_ ,” Lucifer said, shrugging his hand off, “that when you only _tried_ to have me killed, your wings _rotted off_ and you lost all your powers.”

 

“And when _you_ killed Uriel, you turned around and tried to kill _yourself_ ,” Amenadiel said. “I’ll put my money on my ability to control my self-actualization over your ability to control your emotions any day.”

 

“Okay!” Chloe stepped between them. “Let’s calm down and _think_. Lucifer, do you remember Andras Brody?”

 

Lucifer rolled his eyes. He was in no mood to be “handled.” “Not at bit. Did he happen to hold his brother captive? With a bit of bonus rape?”

 

“No. Brody didn’t hurt anyone. We were investigating him for the murder of Susan Ochoa.”

 

“Oh. The gal who got stabbed in the back. Literally.” Lucifer deflated slightly. “Fine. What about dear Andy?”

 

“You wrapped the rope mooring a boat around his neck and then started the boat’s engine.”

 

Lucifer chuckled. “Oh _right_.”

 

Chloe glared at him and sighed. “Right. And while you _did_ get a confession, he lawyered up _immediately_ and the information he gave us was incredibly vague, and you know, as it turned out, not that relevant to our investigation. Remember?”

 

“I remember how I got him to cough up more info. Do want me to give Sandy a hug?”

 

“ _No_ ,” Chloe said. “I want _more specific_ information, which we aren’t getting if your traitor brother is dead. Look, maybe we’re right, and Michael mentioned him because he’s the _mastermind_ behind all of this. If that’s the case, he _will_ get what he deserves. _But_ —“ She held her hand up, pinching her thumb and forefinger together. “Right now his connection to the crime is circumstantial at best, and we need to know more about his role in all of this and who the other angel they mentioned is!”

 

Lucifer groaned. “We’re not done solving the case until we get his partner, too.” He shook his head at her. “At least we don’t have to do _paperwork_.”

* * *

 

It was the third day Michael had been out of Hell, and nothing was going right.

 

An hour ago, things had been okay. With Linda. With Ella. Then, there were demons, and he’d bolted through the long green stretches of grass until the demons weren’t following him anymore. That was when he’d realized he was still holding Charlie close to his chest. On the run, with _two_ children to protect. He’d never even been good at protecting any of the ones _inside_ him. What was he supposed to do with the one in his arms?

 

First, Michael had to lose his shirt. It was covered in Graustraug slime, or the remains of it were, and it was starting to eat through his skin as well. After, he checked Charlie thoroughly. Though none had gotten on him, thankfully. His skin was unmarred, smooth and soft, a warm and sweet brown, and Michael cradled the back of his head and brought his face close to Charlie’s.

 

“You’re okay. We’re okay now, I promise.”

 

Not hurt at all, but the boy was scared. The loudness of his cries resonated through the neighborhood, and Michael looked around nervously. Graustraug weren’t good at distinguishing between loud noises. No actual ears, just feelers. But other demons could find them and were adept at identifying human cries.

 

“Please, **be calm** ,” Michael had ordered as gently as he could. “ **Stay quiet**.”

 

And Charlie quieted. He still seemed frightened, though, and Michael rubbed circles on his back and whispered gentle, non-commands to him, as he walked quickly down the sidewalk. He’d gotten turned around, and now he didn’t know the way back. Linda and Ella should be safe as long as his enemies were following _him_ and not them, but… It wasn’t right to keep Charlie from Linda. And demons could easily hurt Charlie.

 

It didn’t help that he couldn’t _see_. The glasses had only helped so much, but he needed either another pair or the rest of his eyes back.

 

He’d been wandering for some time when he’d found some clothes on a line to replace his shirt. The owner of the house came out, and Michael asked, with a bit of command in his voice, if it was okay if he took one. The woman shook her head and came back with a green shirt with a black outline of a mountain and some trees on it. She held Charlie for a moment while he put it on, smiling and asking questions about his nephew. He did ask if she knew where Linda lived. Apparently, he needed a second name to identify her, but he’d only ever heard her called Linda, so he thanked the woman and went on his way.

 

Eventually, Michael reached a busier street, with cars zipping by, and he knew he was nowhere near where he should be.

 

A large group of humans was clustering by the curb, and he went over to them to ask which direction the residential area was. The humans were in a hurry, and he got pushed along with them onto a long, blue and white vehicle with a lot of seats. When he’d climbed the stairs, he reached a man scowling at him from behind the wheel.

 

“You have to swipe your card,” the driver said. “Your bus card? Or put in the fare.” He pointed to the sign.

 

Michael squinted at the sign.

 

“If you don’t have money, you can’t ride the bus.”

 

A woman behind him reached around and swiped her card twice.

 

“Don’t worry! I’ve got them,” she said kindly. She gestured for Michael to follow her. “I’m Karen. Is he yours?”

 

Michael sat in on the bench seat beside her. “My nephew. Do you know where Doctor Linda lives by any chance?”

 

“No, sorry. This bus goes downtown, though, if that helps.”

 

“It might.” Michael furrowed his brow. “Is that where the police station is?”

 

“There is one there.” Karen looked concerned. “Do you need to report something?”

 

“Linda and Ella mentioned my brother worked down there, sometimes. He’d probably be able to help me find them again. Or the people who worked with him would.”

 

Karen nodded and leaned over to smile at Charlie. “Hey! Do you like riding on the bus?”

 

Charlie’s fear had disappeared, and Michael felt a wave of relief. The boy was too curious to be afraid, for now.

 

“I don’t have much experience with children,” he admitted. Not that any of his siblings did, with the exception of Amenadiel, whose presence he would for once welcome.

 

“You don’t show it. Honestly, at this age, you really just want to keep them safe, clean, and fed. I have three boys, and I do miss when they were this little.” Karen frowned and reached for Michael’s neck. When he flinched back, she said, “I’m sorry. It looks like you’ve got a nasty burn there.”

 

“It’ll be fine.” He wasn’t sure if he was lying about that. His healing had been spotty at best.

 

As the bus started up, Karen started talking to him about her boys, and sucking in his lower lip, Michael listened intently. Humans were so loquacious about their offspring. Was it expected? But just as Karen was sharing what her youngest had gotten into at preschool, the whispers started.

 

Whispers that he’d known too well those thousands of years in a dark corner of Hell. Creeping around the edges of his consciousness. Threatening madness and claustrophobia. Chains and a blade in his side and a gag down his throat to stifle his screams. His heart leapt into his throat, and he pressed Charlie to his chest.

 

He’d found him. Sandy was here.

 

Or close by, at the very least. The humans didn’t seem to hear the whispers. He didn’t know if they were even capable. Sandy was definitely listening to all of their thoughts, though. Every stray musing, every silent prayer.

 

_Can you hear me, Michael? It’s me._

“So Ashton tells me that it just isn’t fair that his tutor won’t let him play on his phone after he gets done with his work, and I keep saying, your tutor doesn’t want you rushing through things just so you can get back on your phone,” Karen said.

 

_Michael? Little brother? I know you are near. I know the two of you are near._

They stopped at a light. A few more people got onto the bus.

 

“They’re so precious at this age,” Karen said with a sigh.

 

Then the bus started to tip. The passengers started to slide to the side.

 

“Oh, God!” Karen shrieked.

 

Michael was tumbling to the floor before he knew it, sliding to the other side of the bus along with everyone else and hanging onto Charlie in a desperate attempt to keep the child from being injured. Karen fell feet over head and crumpled into him.

 

_This is what happens now._

 

With a crash, the bus fell onto its side, crushing the cars next to it.

 

_You, along with the child inside you, come back with me._

 

Horns blared, and the humans screamed. Sandy must be right outside.

 

_No one else has to get hurt._

 

“I need your help, and I’m sorry to be forceful about it, but we don’t have time.” Michael handed Charlie to Karen. “ **Do not let anyone but myself take him from you** ,” he commanded. “ **Go to the police station. Ask for Ella Lopez.** **Protect this child as though he were your own**.”

 

Karen nodded and shifted Charlie in her arms. “Got it. Ella Lopez.”

 

“Wait a few moments to go,” Michael instructed. “Maybe go out the back?” He pushed against a seat, trying to get a good footing as he made his way toward the front of the bus.

 

_You know it is a sin to hide your talents, Michael. I simply seek to help you increase them._

As he reached the door, Michael trembled. Though, not from fear, as he’d expected. He could feel the scream pushing against the back of his throat and his insides trying to rebel, to force him to release it in full. He dropped to the pavement and squinted. There. The blur of silver above a dark suit.

 

“Hello, brother—“

 

Michael broke into a full-speed run directly at Sandalphon and curled his lips back in a full-throated shout:

 

“ **SANDY**!”

 

He bit his power back immediately, but the reverberations of his voice had knocked Sandalphon back, causing him to bounce and skid over the pavement for nearly a full block, leaving a deep grove from the force of it. Then, before Michael could get any closer, his brother and former captor took wing and disappeared.

 

Michael stared up at the sky. He’d just _fled_. He’d kept Michael bound for thousands of years, mocked his suffering, used him as a vessel for his plans, treated him worse than a human would treat breeding livestock. And he’d _run_.

 

It had been so long that Michael had truly forgotten how his siblings responded to his power. Sandalphon’s fear of Michael jarred his sense of reality. He should have been able to protect himself. He should have been able to keep Sandy from doing that to him.

 

A stab in his side. The burning of his skin. Michael became aware of his wounds once more and staggered in the street. The effort of holding back his power took too much of him. It didn’t, in fact, help to know that he couldn’t completely heal because of something wrong in his mind. It made it worse. He could protect the human world, or he could protect his child.

 

“Sir, are you okay?”

 

Red lights were flashing nearby. Loud noises and humans gathering to see the upturned bus. Michael sank to the ground and closed his eyes to keep the spinning sensation at bay.

 

“I need my wings,” he muttered. “But I don’t have them. Because I’m broken.”

 

 

* * *

 

No one ever told Trixie anything.

 

Except Maze, and sometimes Lucifer, when her mother wasn’t paying too much attention. But he hadn’t been around in months, and now that he was back, people were talking in code over her head more than normal. First it had been her mom “working late” when she’d obviously been out looking for Lucifer (who turned out to be Lucifer’s brother), and then her dad had acted all weird around Lucifer. And then, that morning, her mom and Lucifer had been talking about the Voice of God and creation and destruction and Lucifer being the Devil…

 

And then just as Trixie had peeked out of her room, a young woman popped out of nowhere. Literally nowhere. The space she stood in had been empty, and suddenly there she was, with a bowl-cut and black eyeliner and running shoes. Lucifer’s little sister. The Angel of Death.

 

After that, the conversation had just gotten weirder, and Trixie had been shipped off to stay with her dad for a while, so they could go find the Devil’s twin brother and stop the earthquakes and maybe demons.

 

She sat cross-legged on the couch while her dad was on the phone. He was gonna have to go into work because everything was crazy in the city right now, and they needed everyone out there that they could get.

 

“I could just stay at the station.” Trixie put her bowl of cereal down on the coffee table.

 

_“My little sis is the Angel of Death. She doesn’t need a key.”_

 

Trixie untied one of her braids to rebraid it more tightly. Her father hadn’t answered. Probably hadn’t even heard her before he’d run off to his bedroom to check the bag Mom had given him less than an hour ago.

 

_“Then we can get the pendant and assemble the sword before Mum spews light everywhere!”_

 

Biting her thumbnail, Trixie got up and started to pace around the small apartment. Dad had kept their place in the divorce. Trixie wasn’t sure why he’d gotten to stay while they had to move, but that was a couple of years ago now, and she couldn’t exactly say what had been whose idea.

 

She climbed up onto one of the stools in the kitchen, and leaned on the counter trying to remember small details. She wasn’t so little that she believed just anything, but… Lucifer had always been strange. In a comforting way. Maze, too. But she’d never seen him look like the Devil. She _had_ seen Maze look like a demon, and he called Maze that a lot. But Trixie didn’t remember Maze’s demon face seeming scary. She’d never been scared of Maze. Not the way she had Malcom Graham.

 

She also didn’t remember her mom or dad believing in anything like this, until a little while ago when her mom had gotten shot and they’d gone on vacation in Italy. Then, Mom had left her sometimes with her grandmother so she could go to the libraries there. Which was weird. There were plenty of libraries in L.A.

 

But not, maybe, the kind you’d need if you were looking to find out for sure if the Devil was real.  


“Hey, monkey.  I’m gonna have to drop you off at the precinct.” Dan came back in and put her bag on the counter. “Lotta work to do today.”

 

“I figured.” Trixie sighed. “Mom put some books in there. I’ll be fine.”

 

Dan came up behind her and squeezed her shoulders. “I’ll make it up to you after things settle down, I promise.”

 

“No, that’s not it.” Trixie pinched her lips to the side. “Dad, is Lucifer really the Devil? You’d tell me if you knew, right?”

 

“What? Trix, _no_. He’s just…” Dan shook his head. “Lucifer is a weird guy for sure. And he’s kinda messed up. Got a lot of family issues.”

 

Trixie’s brows raised. “I bet.”

 

That would explain all the whining about his dad.

 

Dan patted her back. “Look, don’t worry about him, okay?”

 

“Is he gonna leave again after he finds his brother?”

 

“Maybe. It’s probably not a good idea to get attached to him.”

 

Both of their heads turned as the doorbell rang.

 

“Sit tight. It’s probably the property manager.”

 

Dan went to the door, and he opened it to a tall man with shoulder-length silver hair and a hawkish nose that was a bit swollen.

 

“Detective Espinoza, yes?” The man’s eyes were hard and steely. Now that Trixie could see him better, it looked like someone had dragged him through the street.

 

“That’s right. Can I help you?”

 

“I have information.” He had an accent. A little like Lucifer’s, but way more prim and cold. “I’m told you have put out feelers for anyone who has seen one of my brothers. I was hoping to talk to you about that.”

 

Dan frowned. “You should probably go down to the station for details on a case. Maybe give a report. Who is your brother?”

 

“Michael, of course. I hear his twin came back into town looking as well.” His thin lips stretched into something that was not quite a smile. “It appears the whole family is coming together for our poor, dear Michael.”

 

“I see.” Dan stepped back to let the man in. “I can’t give you a lot of details on the search right now, but I could put you in contact with Chloe. Do you have Lucifer’s number?”

 

“Oh, I believe I do.”

 

Trixie froze as the man’s eyes fixed on her. She swallowed hard as her instincts told her to run.

 

“Dad, we have to be at the precinct, right?”

 

Dan looked back to her. Then all at once, the man grabbed the side of Dan’s head and slammed it into the wall.

 

“Daddy!” Trixie shrieked.

 

She made one aborted move toward him, but then bolted in the other direction. She needed her mom, and Maze, and maybe Lucifer. But before she could get to the back door, a gust of wind hit her from behind, and she stumbled.

 

And he had her.

 

* * *

 

The big, crazy angel convention had gone off the rails after Chloe had talked Lucifer down from a really well-deserved clash with one of his brothers. One apparently out of hundreds. And some of his sibs had big ol’ sticks up their asses.

 

“You can’t handle him alone! Michael is an Archangel! If he has another freak out, he could order all of us to kill each other!” Amenadiel snapped.

 

“He would never do that,” Lucifer argued.

 

“He has given us marching orders many times,” Remiel said.

 

“It isn’t his fault you lot can’t tell the difference between _his_ voice and _Dad’s_ voice!” Lucifer snapped.

 

Ella’s eyes ping-ponged between Remiel and Lucifer, Lucifer and Amenadiel, Chloe and Remiel—Whoa, buddy, Decker did _not_ like that Remiel had called her part of Lucifer’s harem. It could be years before that relationship got another chance. In-laws were tough even when they weren’t Celestials. Ella looked back to Eve and Maze, who were talking quietly and then slipped away toward the bedroom. Ella was about to follow them; she needed to decompress from all these huge personalities…

 

But then her eyes rested on the quiet one they were calling Duma. He wasn’t as tall as Lucifer and Amenadiel, but he was at least a head over his sister. His golden silk robe draped over a long, lean form, but not one without strength. His skin was almost as deeply gold as the robe, although it was a bit darker. Topped with platinum hair, he seemed to glow from head to toe, apart from a pair of dark, soulful eyes. He looked a little like a K-pop star. If that K-pop star carried a sword and looked like he knew how to use it.

 

Meaning: Biceps like _daayum_.

 

As if he sensed her gaze, Duma looked at her and crooked a half-smile. Ella stepped closer to him.

 

“They sure got a lot to say,” Ella said. “I guess that’s normal, after all this time apart. Truth be told, I get kinda lost when my brothers all get together, too.”

 

Duma nodded. His brows drew together, and he sighed as he looked at them.

 

“Michael was a little quiet, too. Compared to these guys, anyway. Maybe not compared to you.”

 

Duma grinned. Then, he turned to her and pointed at her phone. She’d been sneaking glimpses at it while everyone talked, and it was still at the ready in her hand.

 

“Oh. Before I ran into Michael, I was tracking all the crazy angel stuff in this Facebook group—Um, I have no idea how to explain what that is, but other humans are posting whatever weird things they see around the city. I figured, someone might get a glimpse of Michael. Or of demons going after him.”

 

Duma leaned over her shoulder to look.

 

“Yeah, see? That’s the flowers, I have one of those bad boys in my apartment now.”

 

Ella scrolled through for him, describing the pictures and commenting on the discussion posts until he held up a hand and pointed to a video. She clicked on it. Duma’s expression grew stern. He looked up at his fighting siblings and snapped his fingers twice.

 

“What is it?” Remiel asked.

 

Duma pointed at the phone.

 

“Oh, um?” Ella scrolled the video back and maximized it before turning it around for them to see.

 

It was just an interview with some of the people Michael had “blessed” along the way. But Amenadiel, Lucifer, and Remiel all reacted at the same time, eyes widening, anger rising.

 

“Sandy!” Amenadiel practically growled.

 

“Which one is he?” Chloe asked.

 

Duma gestured to his hair.

 

“That’s him.” Lucifer took the phone and waited a moment until the video was in the right spot. Then he paused it and enlarged the picture and showed it to Chloe. “Silver hair. Nose like a beak.”

 

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “Ella, can you send that to Dan? We can get a BOLO out right away. There are human eyes all over the city.”

 

“Yeah, I’m on it.” Ella took her phone back.

 

“Is this a human tracking device?” Remiel asked.

 

“Facebook or the phone?” Ella scoffed. “Actually, both, kind of. But what we’re gonna do is tell the LAPD, they’re um, local authorities, to keep an eye out for this guy specifically and alert us if they see him. Do _not_ interact.”

 

“What does that mean? When are we going to go find Charlie?” Linda asked.

 

“Now,” Lucifer said, pulling on the edge of his suit jacket.

 

“I agree that we have to move into action, but we need a plan,” Amenadiel insisted.

 

“As per usual, you just love to point out that we need a plan, and leave it to me to come up with one. We’ve got a host of angels here, and a demon who’s been tracking professionally for years now—wherever she’s got to—along with the LAPD on our side,” Lucifer said. “Let’s just split up and _find_ them!”

 

Lucifer took out his phone, and a moment later, phones chimed around the room. “There. I’ve added you all to a text chain. No more miscommunications or waiting around to find each other. If you see something, text something.”

 

Linda started to say something when Chloe’s phone rang.

 

She held a finger up as she answered. “It’s Dan… Hey. Did you get the vid—“

 

Ella went to Chloe’s side at once. Every muscle had tensed, and her eyes, shining and intense, flickered back and forth as she listened.

 

“He- He’s got her,” Chloe sputtered. She shook her head and looked up at Lucifer.

 

Lucifer frowned as he leaned forward. “What? He’s got--? Oh, Trixie!”

 

“What is that?” Remiel asked.

 

“Chloe’s daughter,” Amenadiel supplied.

 

“We can’t take the time to go find her now,” Remiel said. “Our mission is far too important. And she is only one human.”

 

“Dude!” Ella said. “You’re an _angel_. Have a freakin' _heart_!”

 

“Heart has _nothing_ to do with it,” Remiel argued. “If Michael dies—“

 

“Michael isn’t going to die!” Lucifer boomed. “Maze! Get in here!”

 

She appeared, with Eve trailing, and both looked a bit annoyed.

 

“I’m _not_ your servant,” Maze snapped.

 

“Trixie’s been kidnapped,” Chloe said.

 

Maze’s posture went ridged. “When?”  


“Maybe twenty minutes ago?” Chloe began wringing her hands. “It must’ve been Sandalphon. He knocked Dan out.”

 

“Maze,” Lucifer said more gently, “I need you to go with the Detective. Find Trixie. If you see Sandalphon, let us know, yeah?”

 

Maze nodded.

 

“Eve.” He turned to her. “You’ve practiced driving, right?”

 

“Suuure.” Eve grinned as Lucifer tossed her his keys.

 

“You take them to Dan’s. Maze’ll pick up the trail from there.”

 

“Where are you going?” Chloe asked.

 

“With Linda and Ella. We’re going to find Michael and Charlie.”

 

“Luci,” Amenadiel said. “Despite our arguing, we can help. Charlie is _my son_.”

 

“I know, but Michael might not let you get close enough for him to recognize you. And I’m not letting #AngelSupremacist near _either_ of them. The best way to deal with a freak out is to not give him one.” Lucifer patted Amenadiel’s shoulder. “Anyway, I need you to take those two and clean up _any_ demon presences that you find. No need to let Sandy have his backup, eh?”

 

“That’s… actually a good idea. We’ll hit the skies and see what we can find.” Amenadiel looked around at them all. “If _any_ of you need additional help, let me know. We’ll all come flying.”

 

He leaned in to embrace Linda. She was so small in his arms. Ella smiled a little, seeing that, and then Lucifer, going awkwardly to Chloe’s side. His hands touched her shoulder and her face and he whispered to her gently, “No human has ever slipped out of Maze’s sights once she’s set on them. The girl will be just fine.”

 

“Be careful,” Chloe urged.

 

God, this was all so sweet and sad. Ella could almost forget that she was surrounded by the extraordinary.

 

As she followed Lucifer and Linda to the latter’s car, Ella kept her eyes on her old friend. She was feeling so much right now that it was almost impossible to sort through. Top of the list was confusion, and terror, but they were being crowded out by worry and sympathy. Lucifer’s other face had sparked something primal in her, a fight or flight response that she had buried as the other parts of her brain connected that terrible visage with what had caused it: Pain. Just raw, naked pain and guilt. Someone had hurt his brother, badly, in ways no brother should hurt another.

 

And it had caused _that_. Ella assumed, since Lucifer had mentioned his face before (usually in the context of not having it, somehow), that it came out at other times. She knew, logically, this wasn’t a one-off part of him. It was one of those deep layers you don’t see in a person until you’ve known them long enough for them to slip up and show you those ugly parts.

 

As they buckled up, Linda driving and Lucifer in the front seat with her, Ella slid in and finally spoke:

 

“Lucifer. I wanted to ask.”

 

“Anything you want to know, Ms. Lopez,” he said, quite abashed and polite.

 

Like he was a little embarrassed that she had to see all that. Like she might if someone came in while her brothers were being dumb or stripping cars or watching porn or something.

 

“Chloe mentioned one of the angel names was ‘Rae Rae.’”

 

Lucifer turned to face the backseat, his eyes wide and his brows tented. “I—I’m sorry.”

 

“I dunno what you’re apologizing for. It was your sister who lied to me.” Ella swallowed as Linda pulled out. “She’s an angel, right? And that’s why she pointed me in Michael’s direction?”

 

“Rae Rae gets very busy. It’s hard for her to come in and look out for us herself. And she… I felt it would’ve been more appropriate if she could tell you herself who she really is.”

 

“ _That_ would’ve been good. Though…” Ella shrugged. “I don’t think my shrink would see _that_ much of a difference between seeing a _ghost_ no one else can see and seeing an _angel_ no one else can see.”

 

“It isn’t my place, but I do apologize anyway. These conversations aren’t easy, and frankly…” Lucifer shook his head and leaned back into the seat. “Our parents are both quite manipulative in their way. Her lying to your face ‘for your own good’ isn’t something most of my siblings would even consider wrong. As you’ve pointed out yourself, I’ve skirted the line as well, by bluffing and obfuscating.”

 

Ella stared hard at the back of Lucifer’s head. One scrap of information stuck in her brain and refused to be broken down.

 

“I’m sorry, man, did you say your _parents_? As in _plural_? There’s a _Mrs._ _God_??”

 

Linda made a noise deep in her throat. “You _don’t_ want to know.”

 

“More _ex_ -Mrs. God. Actually, you’ve met Mum…” Lucifer shrugged. “It’s a bit of a long story. You two got on quite well… Mum and Chloe, not quite so much.”

 

“Uhh…” Ella looked at her phone. “Hang on, I totally need to hear more about that, but I’m getting a call from the station downtown… What’s up, John-o?”

 

Her brows shot up. “Really? Okay. We’ll be right there!”

 

“I think I’ve been more than patient enough,” Linda said a bit tensely. “I don’t think any more Celestial distractions get to take precedence over Charlie!”

 

“He’s at the station. We just need to go pick him up. Sorry, didn’t mean to bury the lead.” Ella spotted a new notification on her phone and scrolled down to a new video. Someone had caught a bus tipped over on its side, and Michael climbed out of the door and dropped to the ground. His eyes glowed with that ethereal light and then shouted, delivering a serious knockdown to Sandalphon. Then, he collapsed.

 

A lump grew in Ella's throat.

 

“They’re at the station?” Lucifer said. “Well, let’s go!”

 

“Charlie’s at the station. I… Some woman brought him in. Ch-Charlie’s fine. We just have to get him. Michael’s _not_ with him.”

 

Ella’s hands trembled. It was so selfish. Linda was scared for her son. Lucifer was scared for his brother and nephew. Chloe was scared for her daughter, and Dan, who had most likely gotten attacked by an angel. But Ella? She was starting to see Remiel’s point. She was scared not just that Michael might die, but what happened to the rest of them if he did.

 

“Ms. Lopez? Ms. Lopez? Well. I’ve broken another one, I’m afraid.”

 

“It’s been less than 24 hours for her. It took me a week, at least.”

 

“And lot longer than that to get back to normal. It took Chloe the better part of a year, not that I blame her. I should’ve controlled my face,” Lucifer groaned.

 

“Maybe. But under the circumstances, it’s understandable. Moreover, you have the right to _your_ feelings in all this.”

 

“Yes, yes, Doctor. She just… This is all enough, without Ella having to see _that_.”

 

“Those slug things were waaaay worse.” Ella rubbed her head and regained her focus. “I’m just… What _happens_? If Michael… Will we even _know_ we got erased? Oh, God, I’m _so_ sorry. He’s your _brother_. You don’t need to hear about that.”

 

Lucifer turned and slipped his hand between the seats to take hers. She squeezed back and met his eye, and he blinked slowly, his face more open and honest than she’d ever seen it. This was it. _This_ was his real face.

 

“That doesn’t happen without _me_ going, too.” Lucifer swallowed. “And you haven’t seen them, but I still have my wings. I can leave this plane, if the worst comes to pass. Okay?”

 

Ella sniffed and blinked away tears. She’d never been this scared in her whole life. But Lucifer held her trembling hand securely, and while her heart still pounded in her chest like a frightened, trapped animal, the world was starting to spin just a little less.

 

She’d always believed in God and the Devil. Even if those particular roles had rarely seemed so rigid. Even if she had questioned and struggled over her faith and the meaning of it all.

 

“But that won’t happen,” Lucifer said. “Do you understand? I’m going to put an end to this. Do you trust me?”

 

“Of _course_ , I do,” Ella said.

 

And it was true. Ella had put her faith in the Devil.


	8. #SaveMichael

Eve had fallen into this one backwards and in her running shorts. Ever since she’d gotten back into town, she’d gone for a morning run around block where Maze lived. Not a bad strategy. Just a couple of laps. A casual meet-up where they could reconnect and start talking again. Or it would’ve been if Maze had actually been in town.

 

As the angels and professionals argued over what to do, Eve had taken her moment to whisper into Maze’s ear. Maze hadn’t seemed thrilled by the idea, but they’d slipped away to the bedroom to talk. Things hadn’t gone to plan there, either.

 

“I’m _with_ someone,” Maze had said. Her voice had been so cold.

 

At least _Lucifer_ had some use for Eve. Even if it was just the driver. Otherwise, it didn’t feel like anyone else wanted her there.

 

“How long have you been driving?” Chloe asked anxiously.

 

“Luce taught me how, so, um, like maybe a year?” Eve took a corner, and Chloe grabbed the arm rest.

 

“Dan’s apartment is right up—“

 

Eve came to a halt in front of the complex. “Do we go inside, or what?”

 

“I’ll go. It’ll be faster,” Maze said.

 

Chloe jumped out of the car to follow her. “No, I need to question Dan, too.”

 

Eve bit her lip as the two of them walked briskly away. “Okay. I’ll… be right here.”

 

Thinking of Trixie’s little face, Eve gripped the wheel. It wasn’t too shocking that one or more of the angels had gone rogue. That one or more of the angels would hurt the other. Eve knew better than most that you couldn’t guarantee love between brothers. If God loved his sons at all, he would _heartbroken_ at what had happened. Wouldn’t he? One child binding and breaking and violating the other.

 

It had been bad enough when Cain and Abel fought. When Cain returned from the fields, pretending he hadn’t just bashed his brother’s brains in. When he’d tried to _justify_ what he’d done.

 

Sandalphon probably felt justified doing all that to Michael. What _didn’t_ make so much sense was why he’d go after the kid of Michael’s brother’s partner. Michael didn’t even know Trixie.

 

…But _Lucifer_ did, and Lucifer would do anything to protect her.

 

Eve felt her chest tighten. She pulled out her phone. If she texted the chain, then that would send things out to everyone. Maybe… just Lucifer.

 

_Hey, Luce. We’re on the trail. Stay clear of ol’ Sandy, huh? At least until we’ve got Trixie. We’ll let you know._

She looked around the car as she waited, and a moment later, he responded:

 

_Got it. We’re headed to the station to pick up Charlie. Text the chain, next time._

 

Eve bit her thumbnail. No way was she doing that. Lucifer was trying to look out for everyone else. No one was looking out for _him_ right now. And he sure never had his _own_ back.

 

“—Damn flying cockroach,” Maze grumbled as they returned to the car.

 

“How do you track them when they’re in the air?” Chloe asked.

 

“We _can’t_.” Maze opened the car door with a jerk. “We gotta let Amenadiel and his fledges keep their eyes on the sky. The rest is getting in Sandalphon’s head.” She gestured to Eve as she dropped into the seat. “Start her up.”

 

“Um, before that.” Eve turned slightly. “Where would he go if he wanted to get Lucifer to come find him?”

 

“Like a trap?” Chloe frowned.

 

“I dunno? Maybe.” Eve spread her hand. “It’s like Maze always says, you gotta think like him, and well, I don’t, but the way _Cain_ would handle this...” She sighed and rolled her eyes. “He’d do _anything_ to make sure he couldn’t be hurt _himself_. I don’t think Sandalphon is gonna do anything to Trixie. I think he _needs_ her because he’s out of his depth with Lucifer and Amenadiel here. You don’t hide for eons unless you’re a coward.”

 

“She’s got a point.” Chloe looked to Maze. “It was so sudden that I didn’t even questions why he’d take her. It doesn’t fit his motive at all.”

 

“He _can’t_ be that dumb.” Maze put her hands on her knees and glared. “Even for an _angel_.”

 

“No one ever said Sandalphon was the brains of the operation,” Chloe suggested. “Maybe his partner was the planner.”

 

Maze clicked her tongue. “ _Fine_. Let’s hit Lux and see exactly how stupid this guy is.”

 

“Shouldn’t we get Lucifer?” Chloe asked, pulling out her phone.

 

“Oh, no!” Eve pinched her lips together and turned on the car. She could practically see Lucifer swooping in after Sandalphon and getting gutted because Chloe was right there with them. “Um, he needs to find Charlie and take care of Michael first, right?”

 

“Right. We’ve got more than one kiddo to save right now. And I can handle one celestial flunky,” Maze said.

 

“I’m sure you can!” Eve said. “I mean, this guy’s so scared of Luce he kidnapped _a little girl_.”

 

Chloe shook her head and twisted her fingers. Maze had rolled down the window and was scenting the air. Eve glanced over to Chloe every few seconds.

 

“Hey.” Eve reached over and took her hand. “Nothing happens to Trixie, okay? _We’re_ gonna take care of her.”

 

Chloe nodded. “Thanks, Eve.”

 

“No problem.”

 

* * *

 

The precinct was so chaotic that if Lucifer and Ella hadn’t been there, Linda was sure she would’ve been overlooked for hours before getting to go back to see the this Karen Rivas. Instead, Lucifer gave a winning smile to the uni at the desk, and while he chatted with her, Ella led the way back.

 

“I hope the others are having such an easy time finding people,” Ella muttered. “Okay, so she should be in the room back there.”

 

Linda wrung her hands as she approached. She could see Karen inside, bouncing Charlie gently on her hip and pacing back and forth. Ella opened the door and let Linda enter first.

 

“Need to find Ella Lopez. Protect him. Gotta find Ella. Go out the back…”

 

“Oh, thank you so much!” Linda rushed up to her and reached for Charlie, but Karen pulled back from her.

 

“I can’t give him to you.” Karen tightened her grip on Charlie.

 

“Excuse me? That’s my baby!”

 

“Are you Linda?” Karen deflated, seeming relieved. “He was looking for you, but I-I can only give him back to Michael. I can’t give him to anyone else. No one else. I can’t—“

 

“Okay! I get it.” Linda looked to Ella, who curled her lip at Karen and shrugged.

 

“Give me a minute.” Ella skirted back out the door.

 

Linda crossed her arms over herself and tried to get closer. Charlie had started to fuss. “Has he been upset? Does he need anything?”

 

“Oh no, he’s been so good. So calm and quiet.” Karen smiled at Charlie with a maternal sense of pride. “Such a good boy. The officers got us some supplies, and I was able to change him and get him something to eat. I hope he doesn’t have any allergies?”

 

“No, he doesn’t.” Linda swallowed and started to tap her foot.

 

Ella came back in with Lucifer. “Hiii, Karen. You remember this guy, right?”

 

“Oh! You’re all right! I kept him safe, just like you said.”

 

Lucifer nodded, caught Linda’s eye, and raised his brows. “I’m right as rain,” he said in an American accent. Though, when Lucifer spoke like that, it sounded harsher and a lot less pensive than Michael. “Why don’t you hand Charlie over to Linda now?”

 

“I can’t,” Karen said. “You told me to only give him back to you. Do you want me to give him to you?”

 

Lucifer cringed. “Not really.”

 

Linda swatted his arm. “Just take him!”

 

“Oh, _fine_.”

 

Lucifer forced a smile and opened his arms. Karen deposited Charlie in them carefully. His smile disappeared at once, and his lips flattened into a tight, anxious pucker, but his arm supported Charlie in a firm but gentle embrace. He held his nephew with the focused determination of someone afraid they might crush something impossibly fragile.

 

Karen sighed heavily and shook her head. “Oh, God! I have to get home! My boys are going to wonder where I’ve been. I hope Mateo was able to get off work to stay with them.”

 

“Well done,” Lucifer said. “You can go now.”

 

“I can’t thank you enough,” Linda said. Lucifer looked about ready to toss Charlie back to Linda.

 

“It’s no problem. If one of my boys was lost in the city, I’d hope someone helped him get found, too.” Karen swept a glance over Lucifer. “I thought you’d still be with the EMTs.”

 

“No, I’m fine.” His jaw muscle was jumping from clenching so tightly.

 

After Karen had left the room, he _didn’t_ throw Charlie, but he did hand him over to Linda very quickly.

 

“Nice accent,” Ella teased.

 

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “I much prefer my own, thanks,” he said, almost relishing the return to his own voice. “But I didn’t want to break the poor woman’s brain any more than had already been done.  Michael can order _us_ around. When he gives you humans an order, it’s almost impossible for you to break it willingly. Even the suggestion of an order, and you’d do what he asks.”

 

“Seriously?” Ella paused. “I kept wanting to take him to the hospital, but he asked me not to do that, and then I just… I couldn’t _think_ about it much anymore. Dude, _that_ is a messed up power.”

 

“Don’t think overthink it. All of our abilities are ripe for misuse, if someone were so determined to employ them that way.” Lucifer brushed his suit jacket off. “Besides, My doesn’t even use his powers all that much. He must’ve decided getting Charlie to safety was top priority.”

 

Linda bounced Charlie and cooed to him. He looked back at Lucifer once with a confused little frown. “It’s okay, Charlie-baby.” She kissed his forehead. “How are you doing, honey?”

 

Charlie blinked up at her and whined softly.

 

Ella got out her phone. “I’m letting everyone know that we have Charlie, and then we can go look for Michael.”

 

“Right on the first bit, but you two are going to stay safe right here.” Lucifer paced over to the mirror.

 

“What about, um, Creation-erasing angel-splosion?” Ella asked.

 

“She’s right,” Linda said. “You can’t go alone.”

 

“I can, and I am,” he said.

 

Lucifer sighed and closed his eyes. Linda could see his face reflected in the mirror. How tightly he held himself, the cords of his throat moved as he swallowed.

 

Linda stepped up behind him. “He’s not stable, Lucifer.”

 

“He’s not a _monster_ ,” Lucifer snapped. “I don’t know what Amenadiel has told you about him, but Michael— He’s dangerous, of course, but he has every right to be, after what he’s been through.

He’s my brother, and I’m going to help him.”

 

“I didn’t mean to insinuate anything.” Linda held hand up her free hand, hoping he’d listen even a little. “And I completely agree with you that his behavior now is a direct result of his trauma. But _that_ trauma makes it all the more difficult to approach him and keep him calm.”

 

Lucifer half-turned to her and frowned slightly. “You should stay here with the offspring. Keep him out of sight.”

 

“I thought the three of us were on Team Lucifer?” Ella said. “Why are you kicking us off, huh?”

 

“This is because of Charlie?” Linda asked.

 

“We could leave him at the station, or with Dan,” Ella suggested.

 

“No!” Lucifer threw his hands up. “Doctor, _why_ do you think Michael would be so bloody determined to get Charlie off the scene that he put the whammy on some stranger? Michael doesn’t tend to do that, not even when his siblings deserve it. And why would Sandalphon be bringing ova, plural, to shove inside of Michael? You think he just got a bit clucky, all of a sudden?”

 

“Your Battle Angel sister thought he was trying to create a weapon,” Ella said.

 

Linda offered, “Amenadiel said, maybe he was testing the limits of self-actualization.”

 

“Thousands of ova? Fertilized in secret, when time runs _so fast_ in Hell?” Lucifer shook his head. “Think a moment, what it would mean, if his wretched plan had _worked_. If Sandalphon could really use Michael as a flowerpot for his garden of Nephilim. They could be gestated and reared in the millions before I’d ever gotten back to Hell, if only it had _worked_.”

 

“Well.” Linda raised her brows. “Charlie wouldn’t have been the first.”

 

Ella rubbed her hands together and asked nervously, “If he was one of the rebels, does that mean he wanted to overthrow Heaven?”

 

“He’d need a much bigger force if he wanted to give it another go.” Lucifer action. “I doubt any former rebels would’ve gone to work with him behind my back. If they even _remembered_ who he is. But it would be so much easier if Sandalphon had children to work with, raised up for his own purposes… Linda, you must keep your child as far from this as possible. If Sandalphon finds getting Michael back too difficult—“

 

“He could take Charlie.” Linda bowed her head and pressed her cheek to Charlie’s.

 

“It’s better he never know Charlie exists.” Lucifer looked down and pulled on the edge of his jacket. “Trust me.”

 

“It’s not that we don’t trust you, man,” Ella said. “But we’re a team, and we can _help_.”

 

“And you think you can stop an Archangel from shaking Los Angeles apart?”

 

Ella frowned and tilted her head to the side. “Huh. Actually, I did. This morning.”

 

“What?”

 

“Yeah. When he got triggered, he went to the window and screamed, and I just… held him.”

 

Lucifer leaned forward in disbelief. “You averted an apocalypse with _a hug_?”

 

“Guess I did.” Ella shrugged. “But I just intervened, I think. Michael did the rest to pull himself back. He doesn’t _want_ to hurt anyone.”

 

“No, he doesn’t,” Lucifer said. He pressed his lips together and looked from Ella to Linda with a raised brow. “Right. We still need to keep our little squirmer here out of my twisted brother’s sights. It’s unlikely that Sandy knows about the boy yet. A bit hard to get the news in Hell.”

 

“I’ll stay with Charlie,” Linda said. “Michael knows Ella better, and he’ll be calmer if he knows Charlie is safe.”

 

Lucifer clasped his hands together and appraised Ella with uncertainty. “I suppose I’m game if you are. But we won’t be taking Linda’s Mum Wagon.”

 

“Do you have a car stashed somewhere?” Ella asked.

 

“No. We need to go fast, but faster than the caddy, I’m afraid.” He shifted from foot to foot, then nodded to himself. “C’mon, then. I’m going to need a bit of space before I unfurl.”

 

Ella’s grin spread wide. “Oh, my God, _wicked_.”

 

* *  *

 

The blaring of a siren cut through the fog in Michael’s head. He had no idea where he was. It was a small space, and a man was leaning over him, swearing and fumbling with things.

 

“Another one?” came a voice from above them.

 

“Who is the hospital buying supplies from these days? I’d _never_ had a needle just break like that.”

 

Michael blinked and caught the man’s hand as he tried to push a sharp piece of metal into his arm.

 

“Don’t.” His voice came out weakly, too feeble to even carry a command. Or had his subconscious just progressed to undermining his powers?

 

What a _horrible_ design flaw. Thanks, Dad.

 

“Oh, you’re awake. Good. We were just trying to check your glucose level, determine why you were unconscious.”

 

“But you can’t. I—“ Sitting up, he realized there was some kind of mask over his face.

 

“Don’t take it off. It’s just oxygen. Do you know why you collapsed? The bystanders said you jumped off the bus and confronted the man who—apparently—pushed it over. We found some open wounds, and there appears to be a mass in your abdomen.” The man shook his head. He had long hair pulled back into a ponytail, and he was quiet young. “I’m Paul, by the way. We’ll be at the hospital soon.”

 

“A hospital won’t help me,” Michael muttered. He moved his hand down over his abdomen. This little one was so _tough_. He felt a bit proud.

 

“We think it’s your blood pressure. It’s all over the place. Pretty high when we first found you, and then it just dropped.” Paul patted his shoulder. “Just keep breathing. Deep breaths.”

 

Michael closed his eyes again. He could feel his heart, and her heart, beating. His was slowing. Hers was like a little humming bird. If he didn’t release his power, he was going to take her with him. Destroy himself from the inside out. But if he _did_ let it out… all these people. All these _lives_ …

 

“I have to leave.” Michael tried to sit up again, but Paul held him back.

 

“Just stay put, okay?”

 

“Let me go, Paul,” Michael pleaded. “I have to get away from as many people as possible.”

 

Paul smiled. “Why is that, huh?”

 

“Because they’ll die. I can’t… I can’t stop this forever.”

 

Michael’s heart started pounding again, and he felt warmth welling up at his core.

 

“Please, **let me go** ,” he tried again.

 

“I…” Paul scanned over Michael again and checked the dressing on his side. “You need to take it easy. Okay? No one just passes out because everything is fine.”

 

“Very little is fine. I’m just trying to minimize the damage at this point.”

 

Less than ten minutes later, the ambulance pulled over and let Michael out of the back.

 

 

* * *

 

Ella had dreamed about flying, but man, she’d been way off. Especially since in them, she was flying on her own and not being cradled in the rock hard arms of a six-winged angel. Even the first set, when he’d unleashed them, had filled the alley and almost sent her backward with the force of the displaced air.

 

Then, another two sets had unfurled, and Ella had almost fallen to her knees. The sight of his other face, the sight of demons, none of these things had done it. Now, before the full grace of the First Fallen, Ella found herself speechless and trembling.

 

“It’s all right, Ms. Lopez,” he cooed to her.

 

No time to fall apart. She’d clung to him as he scooped her up in his arms and took flight. The air grew cold around them as they ascended, and the wind hit her so hard that she closed her eyes and pressed her face into Lucifer’s chest.

 

“I’ve got you. I won’t let you fall,” he promised.

 

“I know! But maybe next time, I’ll wear some goggles, huh?”

 

When he laughed, she squeezed him more tightly and tried to look up. Lucifer’s eyes burned red and scoured the Earth for… What? Some sign of his twin, presumably. Then, all of a sudden, they were descending. Hurtling toward the ground.

 

“Oh God!”

 

“He won’t help us,” Lucifer muttered.

 

Then, he drew his legs up, and they dropped down more gently until Lucifer’s feet touched the ground. He looked to her and smiled softly as he let her down.

 

“That was _so_ fucking cool!”

 

“Glad you enjoyed the trip. I was afraid I’d finally broken you.”

 

Ella swatted his arm. “You gotta _stop_ that. I’m as shocked as you are how I’m dealing with all this celestial stuff, but if I was gonna break, I would’ve done it by now.”

 

She glanced around. “Where are we?”

 

“Dunno. Saw a bit of a blip around here.” Lucifer gestured forward.

 

They’d landed behind a row of foliage. A large house was behind them, and hopefully, no one was inside who had just seen an angel land in their yard. Ella led the way out to the street.

 

“Y’know, the last time you and I teamed up, we were buck nekkid.”

 

Lucifer chuckled. “Would you like for me to lose some layers? It _is_ a bit of a steamy day.”

 

“So where’s our blip? Looks like your classic L.A. suburb street.”

 

“It’s not easy to pinpoint from so high up…” Lucifer frowned and pointed to the corner of the block. “Let’s go.”

 

They walked for a few minutes, reaching the end of the block as Lucifer glanced around. They approached a stopped ambulance, where one of the EMTs was sitting in the back with his legs hanging over the back, blinking in confusion.

 

“Hello,” Lucifer greeted him with a smile.

 

The EMT stared back at him. “Whoa. How did you change so fast?”

 

“We’re actually looking for this guy’s brother.” Ella jerked her thumb toward Lucifer. “Have you seen him?”

 

“I just let him go. Why did I do that?”

 

“I imagine he asked you very nicely. My brother can be very convincing, when he’s got the mind to be,” Lucifer said. “What direction did he pop off to, then?”

 

The EMT pointed. “He said he was trying to get away from people. I don’t know where he’d go to do that. There are houses and people everywhere…”

 

“Just so happens, I know where he can go to get away from it all,” Lucifer said gravely. “Don’t you worry.”

 

They took off again, and Ella’s mind began to race in circles. If Michael was separating himself, trying to get away…

 

“Don’t you worry, either,” Lucifer instructed after a moment.

 

“No chance of that. Do you see him?” Ella watched a few people hurrying in the opposite direction. First one family, then another. Maybe someone was having a neighborhood party? “Like maybe his ‘Heavenly aura’ or whatever?”

 

“Heavenly aura,” Lucifer scoffed. “He’s got better sight than I do. When he’s got all his eyes, anyway. Samael means ‘the blind god,’ you know. Rude.”

 

“I wondered about that. Do all those names mean that same person? Does anyone actually call you them? Besides Michael calling you Sammy, which is freakin’ _adorable_ , by the way.”

 

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “Humans map whatever version of evil incarnate they’ve come up with onto me. A lot of them are just gods or beasties from their beddy-bye stories that ended up meaning _me_ , over time. A couple of those names are just demons.”

 

“And the other fallen? I’ve seen huge lists of the fallen rebels. Do they all hang out in Hell or is that just Catholic Bible fanfic?”

 

“I should’ve known you’d have all the academic type questions.” Lucifer sighed. “Linda wanted to know who was in Hell and what we did to Hitler. Chloe wanted to know if I enjoyed _torturing_ people.”

 

“Well, who could blame you for enjoying taking it out on _Hitler_? I bet you’ve already got a cell waiting for Mr. Drumpf.”

 

“You have no idea. The demons are practically salivating on that one.” He paused and directed them to turn a corner where a mother was pulling her children along with her. “To answer your question, not that many of the rebels survived.”

 

“Geez. God, I’m so sorry. I mean, they weren’t just your army. They were your brothers and sisters, right?”

 

“Yes.” Lucifer rolled his shoulders, as if trying to push something off of them. “And we were _barely_ an army. We were unarmed.”

 

Ella frowned and tilted her head to the side. “So, what, the great war in Heaven was some kind of angel slap fight?”

 

Lucifer scoffed and shook his head. “ _They_ were armed. They were defending Dad’s name, after all. But we… We thought we could carry our point if we showed how many of us wanted to change things. It… got out of hand.”

 

“It… _sounds_ like…” Ella said haltingly. “Your dad sent an armed force to put down a bunch of protestors.”

 

Lucifer forced a smile, but it didn’t last. He put an arm in front of her to stop her in her tracks. A large park sprawled out before them, and it was deserted. There were even swings still moving.

 

“Where _is_ everybody?” Ella asked.

 

“I think… Michael wasn’t able to find somewhere without people. Not in time.” Lucifer took a step forward. “So he made one.”

 

“In time…” Ella tried to keep herself from shaking. “Lucifer?”

 

“We need to find him. Right now.”

 

Ella drew in a shaky breath. “Well, there’s no one else here, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find him. You head that way, and I’ll look over here?”

 

“Be careful.” Lucifer squeezed her shoulder.

 

“You too.”

 

It was a bright sunny day. Just the kind of day for the world to end. Ella kept her eyes sharpened for a dark head of hair or any trails of blood.

 

“St. Michael the Archangel,” she murmured, “defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. Or at the very least, against your rapist dick of a brother, since the Devil is just a messy-ass guy doin’ his best. About time for someone to defend you guys for once.”

 

She walked past a line of teeter-totters. The wind caused one of them to creak. Playgrounds were so creepy when they were empty. On a whim, Ella put her hands together and breathed in and out deeply. “Do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God… save yourself. Let us help you…”

 

The air started to move, then. Not wind this time. Ella couldn’t think of any other way to put it. It was like what happened when your idiot neighbors were blasting music with their bass turned all the way up. But there was no sound. Holding her hands to her sides in case things started shaking, Ella kept moving, slowly, and fixed her eyes on the shaking playground equipment.

 

But the wildflowers gave him away first. Not just a line of flowers growing through the part, but one that was _still_ growing. Ella looked up to see the trees blooming around them and vines starting to curl up the sides of a swing set. She picked up the pace as the vegetation flourished around her like in some time elapse video. Even if Lucifer weren’t here to create the second Big Bang, the planet could be wholly retaken by nature if this kept up.

 

Ella glared up at the sky. “Whaddaya doin’ up there? Your kids need you, dude.”

 

She shrugged and walked into a field obscured by a tall row of wild lilies. There he was. Of course. Michael sat in the field, eyes closed as he bowed over himself, panting heavily.

 

Ella started to yell for Lucifer, but then thought better of it and pulled out her phone to send him a quick text. Then, she braced herself and approached Michael.

 

“Don’t order me to leave, please,” she said quietly.

 

“I’m no prince,” Michael said quietly.

 

“You heard, huh?”

 

“That’s how prayer works. If you call on us specifically. But do be careful with that. Sandalphon hears all the prayers of humans.” Michael rested his head on his knees as he looked at her. “I won’t order you, Ella, but you should go. I can’t do this anymore. I’m _trying_ , so hard, but…”

 

Ella shook her head and came up to him. “Just hold on, okay? Just a little bit longer.” She sat beside him and put her arms around his shoulders. The vibrations of the air permeated her skin. She could feel it in her bones, and the unsettled feeling spread through her body into her stomach, making her dizzy. “Take a deep breath with me? In and out. Let’s do it together.”

 

She rested her head on his shoulder, and after a moment, she could feel him breathing along with her, and his hand covered hers. Tears started to sting her eyes, and the stress and fear and brain-melting crazy of the past few days overwhelmed her. She bit back a sob.

 

“Deep breaths,” Michael murmured.

 

“Yeah, right?” Ella laughed.

 

His breathing hitched suddenly, and Ella looked up to see Lucifer wading through the lilies to reach them.

 

Michael squinted. “Is that…?” 

 

“Don’t freak,” Ella whispered to him.

 

The air shuddered. Lucifer took another step forward.

 

“Get back, Ms. Lopez,” Lucifer ordered.

 

“What are you gonna do?”

 

“ _Now_.”

 

Michael said nothing, but he pushed her off of him and tottered to his feet. His hand flew to his mouth as he stumbled forward and a swelling, impossibly bright light began to emanate from him. Ella fell back to the ground as Lucifer rushed forward and caught Michael in his arms. He pulled his twin flush against him, the both of them squeezing very tightly

 

Then, with an explosion of wings, Lucifer shot into the air, and the both of them disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Close call. 
> 
> Also, the prayer Ella is using is to St. Michael. Can't imagine he really enjoys that one, since it asks him to beat down his brother :P


	9. The Voice Speaks

Literally eons had passed since Lucifer had flown this far, but with his arms wrapped as tightly as he could manage around his twin, Lucifer shot up, broke through the folds of reality, and emerged in a seemingly endless field of purple heather. Above the two of them, a twilight of stars swirled, and in the distances shone the ever-bright gates of the Silver City.

 

They were in Heaven.

 

Their feet met the soft ground, and Lucifer loosened his grip just a little. Michael looked so _tired_. Almost more so than when he’d found him, gagged and beaten to Hell. His jaw was still shaking, and Lucifer brought a hand up to the back of his head.

 

“It’s safe, My. You can’t hurt anyone here. Let it out!”

 

Michael met Lucifer’s eye. Quivering, his lips were forced open by the cacophonous sound that emerged almost against his will. Long and loud and so raw that it brought tears to Lucifer’s eyes. Screams Michael must have been holding in since his first night in the pit. Screams he’d cut off and turned inward, trying to keep from hurting innocent humans.

 

Screams that had been rapidly killing him.

 

No doubt the other angels heard this. Even in Heaven, the fabric of reality trembled at the revelation of Michael’s power manifested. And it seemed to go on forever. So long that Michael’s strength gave way, and Lucifer lowered them both to the ground until the cry had spent itself and Michael sagged against him.

 

Stroking the back of Michael’s neck gently, Lucifer could see the color returning to his brother’s cheeks. The remains of the bruises on his face faded. Lucifer had forgotten how quickly angels restored themselves up here. He should’ve brought Michael up straight away… even if that was complicate for him.

 

Now, sitting there and holding his brother close, Lucifer could think of nothing to say. Several jokes rose to Lucifer’s lips, but he couldn’t bring himself to make a one. He couldn’t come up with where to start with everything that needed to be said between them, either.

 

Eventually, Michael broke the silence, fixing his gaze on Lucifer’s face like it was something truly amazing and touching it gently with his fingertips. He smiled as though someone had just given him a tremendous gift. “It’s so good to _see_ you.”

 

“Ah… Oh. Er…”

 

“I know I did before, technically. In Hell. I was just very confused.”

 

“The concussion might’ve had something to do with that. Sandy didn’t go so easy on you.”

 

“No. I thought you’d be wearing your _other_ face, and… I didn’t realize it was _you_. I thought it might be some kind of new torture, letting me think that’d I’d escaped, but ending up back there? Or maybe I was hallucinating? Deluding myself into thinking I’d escaped, when I was still—I was…” Michael shook his head. “I’m so glad to _see_ you.”

 

Lucifer blinked slowly. How _unaffected_ Michael was at the thought he’d see Lucifer as that _thing._ Of all the responses he’d gotten in his lifetime, from quick descent into insanity, to frozen horror, to Ella’s open-hearted fear and worry… It was rare that anyone would just… _accept it_. Only Eve, in his memory, of all the angels and humans, had ever been so blasé, but she’d been looking for other things in that face, in him. Demons found it normal, but for the most part, for everyone else…  

 

He was a horror.

 

“You _knew_ , about… Well, I feel rather stupid, don’t I?”

 

Michael quirked his lips to the side. “Why?”

 

“I thought you’d never seen it. I thought that Dad gave me the face _when_ I arrived in Hell, not before. Though I wasn’t spending much time preening in the mirror directly after the rebellion. I suppose now I realize it was just me punishing myself.”

 

“I can’t say I think much of _that_ particular grand design.” Michael shook his head and pulled up his shirt. He removed the bandage and moved his hand over spot that awful demon-blade had been hooked into his flesh for so long. Even though it had now healed, there was a curved scar engraved into his side, probably permanently.

 

“That was why I didn’t want you to see me in Hell,” Lucifer admitted. “I was ashamed.”

 

Michael raised his brows. “ _Oh._ I thought you were angry with me.”

 

“Why on Earth would I be?”

 

Michael’s eyes widened as he frowned. “I ordered you to _Hell_. You’re my brother. You’re my _twin_. And I ordered you to Hell.”

 

“ _Dad_ ordered me to Hell. You think I don’t know the difference between your voice and his?”

 

“I didn’t stop him, either. I didn’t even try!”

 

“That wouldn’t’ve done either of us any good, and you know it,” Lucifer grumbled.

 

“Part of me—“ Michael swallowed, and then continued quietly, “Part of me agreed with Him. For too long, I thought… There _has_ to be a king of Hell. You were the strongest. The only one who could do what needed to be done, besides Him, and it was His right to order us as He designed. He made us, after all. But ordering you to do it as a _punishment_ …”

 

Lucifer said nothing as Michael trailed off. It was a bit of a double-edged compliment, to be the only one capable of taking on Hell. But maybe he was the only one who could’ve done it. He was the only one stepping up now, that was for damn sure.

 

Michael glanced around them, then flopped back in the soft grass and stared up at the universe with a smile. “I can’t believe you came _here_.”

 

“I made promises.” Lucifer considered the grass for a moment, shucked off his suit jacket, folded it, and settled beside Michael. “You know how I hate to lie.”

 

“I do.”

 

They lay there in silence for some time. Lucifer hadn’t seen the stars like this in, well, practically since the beginning of time. The skies of L.A. had loads of lovely pollution, but even back in the days when the Earth was new, you could only see the universe at a distance. Michael reached over and took his hand, and Lucifer couldn’t help but smile and feel like a kid staring up at the beginnings of Creation.

 

“Do you remember that time,” Michael said, “right after we’d helped Dad create his first solar system, and the first sentient planet? But it was still sleeping, and there were no people there yet—“

 

“We went down to the one little island that had surfaced and watched the stars dancing in the sky,” Lucifer finished.

 

“That was nice. I don’t suppose you make stars anymore.”

 

“No, they frown upon creating massive spheres of hot plasmas the middle of metropolitan areas.”

 

Michael chuckled softly. Lucifer squeezed his fingers. Not to mention, Lucifer was fairly sure he couldn’t manifest that power when he and Michael weren’t working in tandem.  His twin had such faith in him. Glancing over, he frowned at the shirt Michael was wearing. Bright green, and, if Lucifer’s mind weren’t playing dirty tricks, it _looked_ like…

 

“Dearie me. What _are_ you wearing?”

 

Michael glanced down and shrugged. “Just a shirt with a landscape picture. Some nice woman gave it to me. My other shirt had demon slime on it.”

 

“It says, ‘There’s no place I’d rather be than _Beaver Valley_.’”

 

“Have you been there?” Michael’s brow furrowed.

 

Lucifer sputtered a laugh. “About ten times a day.”

 

Michael stared at him blankly.

 

“It’s a drawing of a reclining woman… Mountain-like breasts, some er, _bushy_ trees, and ah…” Lucifer shaped a V with his hands. “The valley between her—“

 

“ _Ohhh_.” Michael bit his lip and pushed himself up onto his elbows. “Couldn’t see it that well. No wonder she was so eager to get rid of it.”

 

Lucifer covered his eyes and shook with laughter.

 

“So undignified for an Archangel,” Michael mused with a bashful smile.

 

“We’re all a mess these days.” Lucifer started to unbutton his shirt. “I suppose Gabe is the only Archangel still alive and in the Silver City.”

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“We’re swapping. I think that one suits me more, anyway.”

 

“You don’t have to do that.”

 

Lucifer nudged Michael’s leg with his own. “And yet I am. C’mon. Strip.”

 

Michael pulled the shirt over his head and handed it to Lucifer, who in turn offered him the midnight blue shirt he’d been wearing. Lucifer donned his immediately, noting that it was a bit tighter in the shoulders on him, but then, as Michael was sorting out his sleeves, Lucifer found his eyes drifting to the small bulge just above the rise of his pants.

 

Lucifer swallowed. Goodness, he kept forgetting that his brother was pregnant. Lucifer didn’t even have the experience to guess how far along he was, but it was enough to see when he was shirtless, and enough, probably, to have made his medical situation particularly harrowing.

 

Michael’s eyes dropped, and then, he looked away and covered his abdomen with his hand. “I, um…”

 

“No, I know that part. We’re on it, mostly, down there.” Lucifer pulled his legs up and folded his hands. “Charlie’s with his mum, Amenadiel’s rounded up our stray siblings and gone on a demon hunt… You needn’t to worry about anything.”

 

Michael nodded slowly and began to button up the shirt. Loose on him, in spite of the bulge. “I’m glad Charlie’s okay.”

 

“Most definitely.”  Lucifer smiled. Stuck again for words, he looked down at his shoes. He wanted to tell Michael things would be all right.

 

He didn’t know how it could be.

 

* * *

 

Michael had dozed off.

 

His eyes opened suddenly to see the bright green of his shirt on Lucifer, who lay next to him stroking his hair. But it was the sound of wings rustling that had woken him, pierced his heart with a fear that his body had learned to respond to before his conscious mind could even recognize the danger.

 

“You’re okay, My,” Lucifer whispered.

 

If only. Michael sat up abruptly, balling his fists and glaring at the angels touching down near them. Gabriel’s wings blazed red and gold, his shining hair falling around his shoulders. A stern look cut across his face as he strode up to the two of them, and Raguel and Khamael, warriors both, followed close behind.

 

“You must leave, Adversary.” Gabriel stood, his hand at his side, his robes long and white, and he looked down on them. “You are not welcome here, as you well know.”

 

Lucifer’s eyes flashed a crimson red as he got to his feet. “Fine, fine. Give a man a moment to breathe. It isn’t like the whole host of you were doing a damn thing to keep Creation from unraveling.”

 

“Michael…” Raguel said softly. He stepped toward his brothers. “It’s been a long time.”

 

“Has it.” Michael quirked a brow. The emotion had leached out of his voice, and he could feel power rumbling in his chest, waiting. He rose to his feet, a shaky proposition, but one he managed, grabbing Lucifer’s hand. “I believe it has been longer since you properly laid eyes on my twin.”

 

“He doesn’t belong here,” Gabriel insisted. His nose wrinkled as he examined Lucifer. “Return to Hell.”

 

“You don’t give orders, Gabe,” Michael said mildly.

 

Lucifer rolled his eyes and patted Michael’s shoulder. “I’ve a few other things to clean up on Earth first, but I’ll be back at the gates of Hell before you know it. If you’re ever eager for a lovely vacation somewhere warm, well, we’ve got rooms waiting _just for you_.”

 

“Is that a threat?” Khamael growled.

 

“Not now.” Michael appraised his brothers and clenched his jaw. “I need to speak with Gabriel. The two of you may return to your posts.”

 

Khamael glanced to Gabriel for instruction, but Raguel did as he was asked immediately, to Gabriel’s clear irritation.

 

“Go,” Gabriel confirmed. He waved Khamael off and waited until they were at a distance before crossing his arms. “Why are you with _him_ , brother? The Silver City is within walking distance. You should come home with us.”

 

“As he said, Lucifer was busy protecting the Earth. That involved bringing me back up here personally. But enough of that.“ Michael approached him, eyes fixed on Gabriel’s. “Did you _know_? Was this one of your _patterns_? Something you set into motion at Father’s behest? Did Uriel tell you his plans?”

 

“Uriel cannot tell anyone anything, Michael.” Gabriel shot a glare in Lucifer’s direction. “Not anymore.”

 

Lucifer’s cheeks reddened and he looked away, seeming shamed by Gabriel’s words. Michael touched Lucifer’s arm gently. He didn’t have to hear it to know something awful had happened, but the news didn’t surprise him much in any case. Not when a weaker angel kept putting himself in the path of Archangels.

 

Michael wondered if his little brother had seen _that one_ coming.

 

 “What a _pity_ ,” Michael deadpanned. “Our dear sweet brother. He who _sees_ the patterns Father has put into place, both intentionally and not. He who knows all of us well enough to predict where we might be and how we will react. Did you _know_ , Gabe? What he was doing? Did you have a hand in it? Uriel cannot _create_ the patterns. He doesn’t set anyone’s destiny into motion.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  Gabriel glanced between Michael and Lucifer. “But you shouldn’t be seen with him.”

 

“If Dad cared _at all_ about what I’m doing or what is happening to me, I think he might have stepped in a few thousand years back.” Michael shrugged and gestured to the shining columns in the distance. “I suppose it’s only fair you know there is rot luring in the Silver City.”

 

Gabriel tilted his head back and brushed golden strands of hair from his eyes. It made Michael remember his own hair, how long it had been. He must look so different to Gabe now, even if his brother couldn’t see the half of what had changed beneath the surface.

 

“Uriel came to me. A bit over eight years ago, in Earth’s time. He said that Lucifer, finally, my twin would open the gates for me. He knew I wanted it. He knew I’d go.” Michael smiled bitterly, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see the anger and guilt on Lucifer’s face. But Michael bullied on. “Do you get the joke, Gabe? It’s _hilarious_. Lucifer wasn’t even in Hell at the time.  He’d left on vacation, and he’d meant to stay.”

 

“What are you saying?” Gabriel’s voice clipped every word. “That our brother lied to you?”

 

“I’m saying he misled me…” Michael swallowed. The air around them trembled. “So easily. He practically handed me giftwrapped to Sandalphon.”

 

“Sandy? But—“

 

“Not as dead as anyone thought.” Michael ran his hand through his butchered curls. “And that is all I care to share about what has happened. You should know, since you are all but in charge of the Silver City currently.”

 

“You need to come home,” Gabriel urged. “You can tell me more later, when you have rested and fully recovered.”

 

Michael bit back the urge to laugh. As though he could _ever_ be as he had been. It was doubtful any of his siblings in the City had an inkling of strife like that. Perhaps Duma.

 

Lucifer slipped his hands into his pockets and watched the Silver City glinting on the horizon. “He’s right, y’know. You’ll be safe there. You can go, and I promise, when you visit, my doors will be open to you.”

 

Michael met his eye, seeing the sadness there. Gabriel couldn’t—wouldn’t—see it. Letting Michael return home meant accepting that Michael was in a place that he couldn’t ever go. A place he apparently wasn’t even allowed to loiter outside of.

 

“I appreciate that, Sammy. But I am _never_ stepping foot into the Silver City again.”

 

Gabriel stepped closer, and instinctively, Michael recoiled.

 

“Brother, I won’t hurt you.” Gabriel’s hands spread in front of him, gesturing for no reason, unable to effect any kind of usefulness. It was almost funny to see him shocked.

 

“I know it’s hard to trust,” Lucifer said quietly. “But maybe, just for a little while?”

 

“It’s where he belongs!” Gabriel snapped.

 

“I know you think of time and space as pieces of an ever-unfolding destiny,” Michael told Gabriel. “However, I also know that Father hasn’t had much use for me in a long time. For any of us, really. Occasionally, He has some small edit to the human world, but for the greatest part, He’s abandoned us. Even worse, He’s left our siblings to suffer terribly for the cause of a war they _won_ ideologically.”

 

Michael glanced up at the stars. Their Father had once talked to them. Shared with them the joys of creating. But He had bored of his children and had no interest in cleaning up the consequences of His fit of temper following Lucifer’s rebellion.

 

“If Dad wants to send a message, He can do it Himself. I’m done.”

 

“Michael,” Gabriel whispered gravely. “You’ve fallen!”

 

“There is no such thing as falling! There is being one of His favored tools—or _toys_ —or being discarded. There is having faith in your righteousness, or engaging in self-torture until you can no longer recognize yourself. But there is _no true righteous_ held by _anyone_ , simply because they continue to live in the Silver City. There is no goodness incarnate inferred simply from following the rules blindly with a child’s understanding of morals and _what we owe_ to one another. Uriel really believed that he was doing what Father _needed_ …” Tears, traitorously, came to his eyes, punctuating his point in a way he’d never intended. “Uriel didn’t care about Sandalphon’s old war. He just wanted me out of the way because he could see that I would eventually stop following Father, and I could be dangerous to Him…”

 

He paused. “And Uri thought, wrongly, that Sandalphon could never succeed.” He bit his lip and said again, “There is no such thing as falling, Gabe. It implies an accident. It implies no one _shoved_ them down into the darkness. It implies no one _deliberately_ caused their pain. A punishment, with no punisher. Father likes to stay above these things. He likes us to punish ourselves, but that doesn’t absolve Him from culpability. Power does not make one right, and…

 

The Ascended are no better than the Fallen.” Michael’s hands clenched so tightly his fingernails bit into his palms. “There are none righteous. _None_.”

 

Gabriel opened his mouth. Then shut it. Michael’s eyes weren’t the only ones wet now. Gabriel’s strict posture had failed him, and he seemed to wilt before them. He had always been close to Michael and Lucifer, before the rebellion… before all of it. But now…

 

“I don’t _understand_ ,” he managed.

 

“I know you don’t.” Though every part of him tensed and resisted, Michael placed a comforting hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “I only ask that you become more active with our siblings. They are on their own. Cast adrift, ethically speaking, and they only ever knew what was right because Father told us it was so.”

 

Gabriel glanced back at the Silver City, then back to the twins. “It must be in the Plan for you to go,” he muttered.

 

Michael could practically feel Lucifer rolling his eyes. But he felt sorry for Gabriel.

 

“The gates are always open to you, Michael. No matter what, you’re still one of the remaining Archangels.” He half-smiled. “Some think of you as the only real Archangel. You were always the one we looked to for orders. You and Amenadiel.”

 

“They were never _my_ orders,” Michael replied quietly. “You were talking to Dad.”

 

Understanding furrowed Gabriel’s brow. Or so Michael hoped. His brother moved forward for an embrace, but it was too much, and Michael moved back.

 

“I am sorry you aren’t coming with us. I hope you will change your mind, after accomplishing whatever you are fated to do on Earth.” Gabriel gave a firm nod and then took to the air to return to the city.

 

“Didn’t even say goodbye you,” Michael muttered. He looked at Lucifer. “Rude.”

 

But Lucifer was grinning like a Cheshire cat. He rocked on his heels once and said, “My _word_ , twin. I don’t think you have ever said so much to one of our other siblings in one go. _Ever_.”

 

Michael let out a breath and shrugged. “Don’t get used to it.”

 

“They don’t know what they’re missing.”

 

Michael bowed his head and fought a smile.

 

“You should reconsider, though. Never’s a long time. It isn’t like our siblings are big on visits.”

 

“No. No, they aren’t.” Michael tilted his head back. “Would you have let them in, if they’d come calling?”

 

“Ah.” Lucifer looked abashed. He fussed with the edge of his shirtsleeve and sighed. “I still don’t want you headed back to Earth with Sandy still lurking around down there. He must have something else in his back pocket, even if he’s, er, without his partner.”

 

“He isn’t entirely alone.”

 

“Right. The demons.” Lucifer huffed a little. “If I’d just gone back sooner—“

 

“I don’t think there’s any reason none of our siblings couldn’t have stepped up and taken responsibility. If Azrael had come to visit at any point, she would’ve sensed my children dying. If Remiel had come inside, she would have scented Sandalphon. If Amenadiel had been there, no demons would have _dared_ step out of line.”

 

“Point.” Lucifer reached down and plucked a piece of heather. “Regardless, are you really ready to go back there? So soon? I’m not taking you to Hell, for certain.”

 

“Time barely passes here at all, compared to Earth. We don’t have a lot of extra time for recovery.” Michael touched his abdomen and stroked his thumb along the soft curve beneath Lucifer’s soft shirt. “I’ll be careful. My wounds are healed now—“

 

“Your body, yes. Fixing this—“ Lucifer tapped on his temple. “Takes years, My. Longer than you’d think. Linda’s good, but she’s not _one session_ good. We’ve got to be on the alert for more than stabby things, you know?”

 

Michael nodded. “You’re not wrong.”

 

He rubbed his hands together. He couldn’t guarantee that he could control himself. And without his wings, he couldn’t escape to somewhere he couldn’t do any damage, unless he had his brother’s help.

 

Lucifer put a hand on his back. “Getting quiet again? Well, if you don’t want to be here, and I won’t take you to Hell, I suppose Earth’s the place to go. I’ll figure out what to do once we get there, hm?”

 

He opened his arms. “Off we go!”

 

Michael circled his arms around Lucifer once again and hooked his chin on his brother’s shoulder. He’d be leaning on Lucifer for some time yet. He would just have to keep it together this time.


	10. All Hellions Break Loose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long hiatus. I had a lot of work I needed to get done. Thank my girlfriend for helping me get done and refocused on the important things: Lucifer fanfic!

Trixie hadn’t been in this world for that long, but getting targeted by one of the bad guys? This was _definitely_ not her first rodeo.

 

Not to say that Trixie wasn’t scared. She’d cried and snotted so much that the guy who had grabbed her slapped her across the face. But when he’d stepped away, he stopped paying much attention to her. The man swept out onto the balcony, unfurled his grey, spotted wings, and scanned the skyline.

 

They were in Lucifer’s apartment, and he was clearly expecting someone to come flying in as well. If Lucifer was the Devil, and this guy was some kind of angel (though definitely not a _good_ one), then probably there were other angels. Lucifer’s other brother, and Amenadiel, were probably angels, too.

 

Trixie sucked in her lower lip and looked around the apartment. She had only spent maybe half an hour here before, and she’d been pretty focused on Eve (after a quick romp of a tour). But Maze _had_ lived here. There were probably knives hidden somewhere that Lucifer hadn’t found yet.

 

Her captor stepped away from the window and peered into the bedroom. Trixie could hear the traffic from outside from the hole in the wall, and the man sighed heavily.

 

“Damn Archangel’s like a wrecking ball,” he muttered.

 

He was _nervous_. Trixie swallowed. He sure wasn’t afraid of _her_. And he wouldn’t have come here if he totally thought he couldn’t handle Lucifer. It must be the missing twin he was worried about. If that was the case, this guy was dumb. That first night in his apartment, Trixie was pretty sure that Lucifer had jumped through a glass window and taken a dozen bullets to the chest. She’d _heard_ the glass and the bullets, and they had to have hit something. The broken glass had been on the floor, and there were holes in his shirt afterward. Nothing had made sense at the time—she’d been too scared—but now it did.

 

This guy could take her dad (caught off-guard), but Lucifer was gonna dog-walk him.

 

Trixie bit her lip. “Excuse me, sir? I have to go to the bathroom.”

 

The man looked at her like she was some kind of slug. Trixie said nothing, and just squirmed, waiting for how he’d react. That was what Maze always talked about, when she was hunting bad guys: You had to get a sense of how they _thought_.

 

After a minute, he leaned over, grabbed her arm, and dragged her over to the hallway leading from Lucifer’s bedroom.

 

“Be quick.”

 

Good. He’d rather risk having her out of his sight than deal with messiness. Trixie would keep that in mind.

 

Once the door closed, she did pee really quick, since she might not get another chance, and then spent a few minutes rifling through Lucifer’s medicine cabinet and under every surface where she thought to look. Unfortunately, Lucifer didn’t care much about home security. No guns or anything. Just a huge, black tub that looked like it could fit four people and glowy red flowers growing up from the beige marble floors. Weird to have in a bathroom, but Lucifer’s apartment was weird anyway. He had that chandelier that looked like an upside-down tree. Why not pretty bathroom flowers?

 

He’d probably have a bazooka behind the toilet if her mom ever let him go through the precinct’s armory, but she knew better. Unfortunately.

 

Before the gray-haired man opened the door on her, Trixie had managed to slip Lucifer’s straight razor up her sleeve and stuff a bunch of the strange flowers into her pockets and down her shirt. If it came to it, she could eat a few when he wasn’t looking, so she could use them to throw up and freak him all the way out.

 

“What are you doing?” he demanded, throwing the door open.

 

“Sorry.” Trixie looked around the bathroom for his benefit at the shorn curls on the floor. “Did something happen in here?”

 

The man’s eyes widened. He grabbed her arm again and pulled her away. After he dropped her in the middle of the main entertaining room, he went back to the window. It would be wiser to shut her in the bathroom and keep her there. Most kidnappers didn’t want to have to watch their victim all the time.

 

Trixie wasn’t about to make his job easier for him. While his back was turned, she slipped out one of the flowers and sniffed it before slipping it into her mouth.

 

* * *

 

Standing guard at the gates of Hell for hundreds of years was tedious to say the least, but it was by far not the most difficult thing Abaddon had been forced to do since arriving in Hell. The years, one after the other, had come and gone, come and gone. Demons had arrived. Human souls had begun to appear. The rooms multiplied around them.

 

Along with Lucifer’s moods, Hell burned and froze and grew battered from torrential winds and rains. She and her brethren moved through the hordes of demons doing what needed to be done. Legions rose, legions overstepped, and legions were no more. While the demons fought and fucked and made merry, the Dre’thkarim were an institution. They were eternal, and unfailingly loyal. Nothing in Hell predated them, apart from Lucifer, and though it wasn’t commonly known, Abaddon was actually older than him.

 

She remembered that. She didn’t remember how they knew each other, or where she’d come from. Nor did she remember the creation of her brothers Raz, Bel, and Corz, or her sister Naamah. She didn’t even remember meeting him. But, Abaddon _was_ the oldest, and older than Lucifer, and she would do anything for him. He’d come to this place first, though. He’d worn a face almost as hideous as a Dre’thkarim’s when she had arrived, which she and her siblings had found endearing, even if he was too vain to wear it all the time once he’d struggled free of it.

 

Dre’thkarim didn’t change, though. Even as Hell seemed to stretch on in eternities of static dullness, it changed, especially if Lucifer was around. Recently, he had been putting the Dre’thkarim in contact with some of the humans in the new structures that had risen up. Corz had thought it was to guard the humans, but Abaddon suspected Lucifer was trying to help her siblings in some way. His time on Earth had benefited him as much as it had riled him up, and he’d only had humans there to aid him.

 

He’d walked back into Hell, wearing the crispest of suits, and stood before them tugging on his sleeves for a moment. Then, he’d taken his jacket and shirt off and handed it to a nearby Lilim just before stepping up to a mass of demons who had belied his orders and twisting himself into a bald, red, deformed creature. It had been a truly impressive sight. Abaddon had touched down from where she had been surveying Hell and watched him roaring orders at them.

 

The feeling inside her had been a mix of pride and gratitude. He’d come back to them. In spite of the burgeoning population, Hell was a lonesome place. They had all missed him.

 

Thus, she could wait at the gates of Hell. Abaddon would wait for Lucifer—and had waited much longer than this before—and for Maze to return to her.

 

She could wait.

 

A pair of wings flapped above her, and her own wings shifted slightly so that she could look upward. Only those of her brethren could really get in and out of Hell, though she had no idea why any of them would try. There was no other place _for_ them in Creation.

 

“Brother,” she said in greeting.

 

Raz was a mass of root-like tendrils that sprouted from his skin, pushing out of the flesh that had stiffened into bark. Even his wings, which hung limp once he’d reached the ground, were more root than feather, and were held together with a fibrous, leathery material. The right half of his face sagged, but as always, the other pulled up into a mischievous grin.

 

“Sister. What a fine task our _king_ has given you this time,” he teased.

 

“He has not assigned this to me. I _chose_ to guard the gate.” Her eyes flickered around as her wings shifted uneasily. She could sense demons all around them. “What have you brought out of Hell, brother?”

 

“Reinforcements.” His grin grew wider. “Don’t you _want_ to be an auntie? We’re running out of time.”

 

Abaddon reached inside her ribcage and pulled out a heavy blade with ornate Enochian lettering along the edge. “Do not play, Raz. This is not the time for it.”

 

“I know.” His smirk faltered just slightly.

 

One of his roots struck her from behind, piercing her side. Instinctively, she retaliated, severing the root and leaving blood oozing on the ground, but another root had already come around her neck, and another. She looked up to see a horde of chittering, masked Hellions, alongside bulbous Graustraug, and other smatterings of lesser demons.

 

Her eyes narrowed at her brother. “Traitor! You are as bad as Uriel!”

 

“I have no desire to hurt you, Abby. But I can’t let you stop me. It’s _Sandy_ ,” he said, as if that explained things. “And we’re all traitors, really.”

 

“No. We are Lucifer’s most loyal!”

 

Raz leaned over her, his roots slithering and twitching around her. “He thinks he’s so clever. I guess his _therapy sessions_ —“ He spat the word out bitterly. “—haven’t helped you all that much. Don’t you remember _anything_? Don’t you understand why we’re _like_ this?”

 

“This is who we are,” Abaddon said stubbornly.

 

“It’s who we are _now_.”

 

Raz rose and gestured to the irritating creatures he’d brought out from below, and they rushed out into the waste that lay beyond the gates. Abaddon waited for her brother to make another move. Would he kill her?

 

He leaned in close, picking up her sword…

 

And she flapped her wings, splattering him with her caustic blood. He howled, drenched in toxic fluids, and Abaddon rose, her eyes glowing and her teeth grinding as she picked up her sword one again.

 

“Are you going to use that? You’ve practically turned to _stone_ , thanks to the last time you raised that sword to a brother,” Raz challenged.

 

Abaddon shifted her weight to the side and thrust one wing forward, cutting deeply into his leg. He stumbled back.

 

“What are you even fighting for anymore?” he demanded.

 

Scattered thoughts and memories swirled in her head. A throng of fighting bodies and blood smeared feathers floating across her vision.

 

“I do not know. However, vhat was done to Nichael cannot stand. It is _evil_ , and I will not abide by such wicked designs from one brother to another.”

 

“But you’ll kill _me_?”

 

He was stalling. His army was toddling their way back. No matter. She’d wiped out full legions of demon species before. She would do what needed to be done.

 

“Not unless you force that action to occur. Stand down,” Abaddon ordered.

 

“I don’t think so,” Raz said, his voice softening. Then, it twisted into a growl. “I can’t live like this anymore, Abby!”

 

“So be it.”

 

Abaddon raised her sword.

 

* * *

 

“Wait!”

 

Maze blocked out Eve’s voice as she launched herself out of the car and pulled out her knives. Chloe was a half-step behind her and likewise unsheathing her gun and starting to lean into a crouch.

 

“Hey!” Eve kept her voice low, but urgent. “If he’s in there—“

 

“He’s in there,” Maze snapped, grabbing the door.

 

“Sandalphon is _expecting_ someone to just barge in,” Eve said. “And we’re not fighting demons here. He’s an _angel_ , Maze.”

 

Heat surged to Maze’s face at the gall of it. “I can handle one _angel_. This guy isn’t even as tough as Lucifer.”

 

“No, no.” Chloe smoothed her hands back over her hair. “Eve is right. Let’s take a breath. What is he going to be expecting?”

 

“Not _me_.” Maze’s skin itched, eager for the fight.

 

“No.” Chloe swallowed and pursed her lips. “He’ll be expecting _Lucifer_. Or Amenadiel. Why would he come to the penthouse, if he wasn’t picking a fight with one of the angels who knows Trixie?”

 

“And where would _they_ enter?” Eve asked.

 

Maze looked up. “Probably the balcony. Wings.”

 

“They’d take the elevator.” Chloe sighed. “You know how everyone just appears up in that loft.”

 

Eve rubbed her fingers over her lips.

 

“Should we call them?” Chloe pulled out her phone.

 

“Oh, um,” Eve hesitated. “Maybe we don’t have to—“

 

Chloe made a frustrated noise at her phone. “Ella just sent a message. Lucifer flew off with Michael? Whatever that means.”

 

“It means they aren’t on this plane of existence right now. _We_ need to handle this,” Maze argued.

 

Eve let out a tense breath and furrowed her brow in thought. Maze appreciated Chloe and Eve’s capacity for strategy, but this wasn’t the time for hesitation. It was the time to bear down and unleash some Hell on this Goddamn angel.

 

“You two can talk this out. _I’m_ going up,” Maze said.

 

Eve slipped between Maze and the door. “I understand,” she said, holding up one hand. “But I don’t think we should all enter from one place.”

 

Maze scowled, then glanced up at the hole that was still only partially covered coming out of Lucifer’s bedroom. There had been so much going on between the angels and the earthquakes. They hadn’t fixed it yet.

 

“Fine. I’ll take the bedroom entrance. Give me ten minutes. Decker, you can go up in the elevator,” Maze ordered.

 

Chloe gave a brusque nod and entered the club.

 

“What about me?” Eve asked. “How can I help?”

 

“You have no weapons and no fighting skills. Stay in the car,” Maze snapped.

 

No time for guilt, either, even as Eve’s face crumbled for the second time that day.

 

_“What do you want?” Maze stepped into Linda’s bedroom and raked her eyes over Eve. Who had time for this?_

_“I just haven’t seen you in a long time—“_

_“Yeah, because you_ **left** _.” Maze crossed her arms._

_“I know, but I need you to understand. I thought when I was with Lucifer that I was being myself, finally, but it was just so damn easy to slip back into trying to change myself.” Eve spread her hands and shrugged. “And he was doing the exact same thing. I didn’t want to start something with you and just ruin it. It wouldn’t be fair to you. And I couldn’t take it, being in a position to hurt you so much again just because I don’t know who I am and what I want.”_

_Maze sucked in her cheeks and felt her blood heating up the way it did when she was about to unleash the pain. “You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” she breezed. “I’m_ **with** _someone.”_

_To her disappointment, as Eve’s lips parted in surprise and her eyes went round, Maze didn’t get that rush of satisfaction she’d been expecting. Eve’s nose wrinkled, and she blinked quickly and looked down._

_“No, no, I get it. I’m glad.” Eve reached forward and squeezed Maze’s hand before heading out of the room. “I-I’m sorry.”_

Maze had spent too much time on Earth. Honestly. What was _wrong_ with her? She turned away from Eve and began to climb.

 

* * *

 

 

Chloe checked her watch as she waited by the elevator door. With her heart thundering in her ears, she couldn’t believe she was in this position _again_. Only this time, instead of a corrupt cop, she had a twisted, brother-molesting angel taking her baby girl.

 

In a funny way, she both wished Lucifer were here and was very grateful he was off on some other “plane,” or whatever. This was such an obvious trap, and there was no doubt in her mind that he would see it and saunter haughtily right into it.

 

Her eyes lifted to catch Eve looking around behind the bar. Her lips were pinched together as she looked behind the bottles and eventually pulled out a wooden box. It had a combination lock on it, which she solved, and then opened the box and pulled out a wickedly sharp knife.

 

Chloe eyed the knife. “Is that one of Maze’s?”

 

“Yeah.” Eve gripped the handle and sighed. “I’ve practiced, but I’ve never hurt anyone before. Unless you count stabbing a priest in the throat when he tried to kill me.”

 

“Hm.”

 

Chloe checked her watch again, and Eve came up beside her, taking deep breaths as they waited.

 

After a long moment of silence, Eve bit her lip. “I think we should text Amenadiel and the other angels anyway. Don’t you? Not that Maze can’t, but—“

 

A wild howl caught Chloe’s attention, and her head whipped around, trying to locate where the Hell that had come from. It sounded like a child screaming, but at the same time, was most definitely _not_ human. The tenor of it vibrated through the air and caused Chloe’s very bones to feel as though they’d been violated.

 

“ _What_ is that?” Chloe said.

 

Eve hit the elevator button, shaking her head. “Something I definitely don’t wanna see. But we’re gonna.”

 

Chloe stepped into the elevator. “Text them.”

 

* * *

 

Maze spotted the Hellions swarming down the side of the building before she heard them raising their cries into the air. Likely, there were humans down on the street pissing themselves, with no idea _what_ was causing that feeling of terror to slip into their skins.

 

Lucky for Maze, this was the smallest swarm of them she had ever seen. Only about twenty or so, when normally they traveled in hundreds. That either meant the others were somewhere else, waiting to strike, or for some reason, their numbers were down. Maze gripped the side of the building where she’d dug her fingers in and grabbed one of her knives, swiping at the closest Hellion and slicing into its scabrous, gray hand.

 

It screamed. A cry that always sent a chill up her spine. Hellions looked like children. From afar. They even sounded like children sometimes. They were small, short-legged. They seemed weak, if you didn’t know what you were looking at, and normally wore various masks over their faces, hiding enormous black eyes and rosebud lips. The one she’d sliced had a pumpkin over its head, as though it were damn Halloween already, and it lost its grip and fell to the ground. Maze knew that wouldn’t kill it, but she wasn’t about to let them keep her from Trixie.

 

She kept climbing and slashing.

 

* * *

 

When the elevator doors opened, Chloe could see Sandalphon facing the hole in the bedroom with his wings unfurled. They’d spotted Maze, clearly. Chloe held a hand back to signal to Eve to wait while she cased the room.

 

It was hard not to rush forward. Trixie was sitting by the piano, bowed over and shaking. She must be so, so scared. Eve touched Chloe’s shoulder lightly, pointed to Trixie, and then crouched down low to make her way over. Although Chloe wanted to go herself, she needed to keep an eye on her target. There was no chance that these bullets would do anything to him. The best she could do was clear the way for Maze to come up and buy time for the angels to get there.

 

Chloe skirted around the side of the room until she was close to the balcony. She could see Eve on the other side of the piano and held up a finger for her to wait. They _should have_ waited to do this at all. Coming in hot like this had been a mistake. One she never would have made on a normal case. But nothing to do about it now. Time to get a big stick and poke the bear.

 

“Sandalphon? We need to talk.”

 

Sandalphon turned to her and lifted his chin as he looked down his nose at her.

 

“You’ve clearly thought all of this out. You’re put together this elaborate plan, and you must have had your reasons. Now, you have the perfect bait to get Lucifer here. But this isn’t going to go well for you if he really believes Trixie is in danger,” Chloe warned. She could see Eve sneaking up to Trixie out of the corner of her eye as Sandalphon stepped closer to her, completely undeterred by the gun trained on him. “You can still walk this back. We’ve already talked him down from punishing you himself.”

 

“How amusing you are. _You’re_ the human that kept Lucifer topside for so long.” His gray eyes narrowed and he tilted his head to the side. “I can’t say I see the appeal. Lucifer must have inoculated himself to your irritating voices and scents after lying with the entire population of the city over the past few years.”

 

Chloe’s cheeks burned. Why were all angels such slut-shamers?

 

“I have to thank you, though. He left of his own accord, but with you there, he stayed gone far longer than he ever would have. I needed the extra time for my experiments with Michael, and you provided it quite well.” Sandalphon gave a little clap and a patronizing smile.

 

“Well, as _glad_ as I am to have enabled your plan to impregnate your brother,” Chloe said, “that’s not exactly why I’m here.”

 

“No, you are here to rescue your own spawn.” Sandalphon folded his hands in front of him and flatted his lips into a line. “Hm. And _without_ Lucifer. Not particularly wise, Detective Decker. Uriel mentioned you. I thought you’d be _brighter_. I won’t be giving up this particular bargaining chip.”

 

“You’ll be safer if you let her go,” Chloe said. “Lucifer will help pretty much _any_ human innocent. You don’t want to trigger his protective instincts.” She rolled her eyes. “You know him, don’t you? You know how much worse this can get for you.”

 

“I’m not concerned with Lucifer’s penchant for punishment. I don’t aim to plead for my life.” Sandalphon fussed with the cuff on his sleeve. “I’m going to offer him an exchange. And he’ll give me what I want. The child, for his twin. Even Michael will go along with this. He’d never allow a child to be harmed, even if it put him back into bondage.”

 

Chloe’s jaw dropped. Sandalphon chuckled.

 

“You’re wondering how I can be so cruel? I wonder how Lucifer can be so _faithless_. He may have given up on our mission, but I certainly never have. It’s unforgivable, really. He led us against God, let his siblings be wiped from existence, and never got back up after the Fall.” He shook his head, his lip curling in disgust. “What a waste. All of the demons in Hell. All of his incredible power, and he does what? Nothing of substance.”

 

Chloe rarely had the pleasure of watching a suspect monologue while things sorted themselves out behind him. Eve had reached Trixie and was crawling away with her. Only years of practice kept her from following her daughter with her eyes. Trixie continued to shudder, and Eve stayed close to her, helping her along. Anger burned inside Chloe at what Trixie must have been through.

 

“Is that why you took Trixie instead of me?” Chloe asked, trying to get him to keep talking. “You need Michael to agree to this? And you can’t do it unless he goes willingly.”

 

“There are a few archangels. There’s only one we refer to simply as _The_ Archangel. You should be happy to be rid of him.” Sandalphon chuckled. “Just look at the destruction he’s caused! I can’t imagine what he’ll be like once he’s full term.”

 

“You’re right. He _has_ caused a lot of chaos. But he wouldn’t have, if he weren’t in so much pain.” Chloe shook her head. “You have to understand that.”

 

“His pain is immaterial.” Sandalphon raised hand and snapped his fingers. “Not that it matters. I know they aren’t even on Earth right now. Your little friend was praying that Lucifer wouldn’t come back and get hurt a few minutes ago while you were downstairs. Such a sweet, caring little prayer.”

 

Chloe’s eyes widened as a towering figure emerged from the bedroom. A walking snarl of roots intertwined with bark and flesh. One long root whipped forward and circled around Eve’s ankles, dragging her across the floor.

 

“Eve!” Trixie cried. Her voice waivered, as she turned toward them.

 

“Get down Trixie!” Chloe ordered. She trained her gun on the creature and fired a round into its chest. The bullets landed deep into the bark, and then dropped to the ground.

 

Sandalphon just looked back at it and raised his brows. “Humans are so predictable. Attack whatever frightens them.”

 

The creature shrugged as its long roots circled around Eve so she couldn’t move. “To be fair, I attacked first,” it said in a gravelly voice, grinning at Chloe. “I’m Raz. And that gun isn’t going to do you any good with either of us. We ought to tie her up, too, Sandy. You’re not going to get Lucifer to flip on his twin as easy as you think. Especially not if they’ve had a chance to talk things out.”

 

“Very well.”

 

Sandalphon turned around and began to close on her. Chloe moved swiftly, lunging toward Trixie, but as she’d suspected, the angel was too fast for her, and he pinned her arms down easily.

 

“Give us something to tie her up with, will you, Raz?” he said, sounding almost bored.

 

Chloe craned her head back to see where Trixie was. She wasn’t there. Had Sandalphon’s demon buddy moved her?  


“Sandy!” Raz cried in warning.

 

Sandalphon’s mild, smug expression twisted, and he jerked and pulled back. Eve’s knife was skewered into his side, just under his ribs. His teeth flashed like a Doberman’s as he glared up at his attacker.

 

It was Trixie, blood on her hands, and her eyes…

 

Glowing like twin stars.

 

**“Let my mom go!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember that time passes slowly in Heaven and fast in Hell. Luci's on his way, but it's gonna take him some time to get there.
> 
> Bonus horror movie Easter egg, too.


	11. More Things in Heaven and Earth

Ella looked up at the sky as Lucifer soared up with Michael in his arms and blinked out of existence. It had worked. The world _wasn’t_ going to un-exist. Not today, anyway.

 

Legs wobbling beneath her, Ella got to her feet and drew in a shaky breath. Her hands would barely stay still as she sent out a quick text to the others, and then she stumbled over to a swing-set and sank onto seat. Her feet dangled slightly as she gripped the chain.

 

Her body had gone loose, and suddenly, Ella felt very tired.

 

 _Okay, Big Guy,_ she thought, closing her eyes and pressing her other hand to her chest. _I went out and I helped your boys, as much as I could. I tried to get Michael to a therapist. I’ve been Lucifer and Rae Rae’s friend. If you’ve got any suggestions for what I can do now, that would be super great._

Somehow, Ella knew the moment she wasn’t alone. She had always known, ever since she was a kid. You’d think there would be a drop in temperature, a sign of wrongness in the air…

 

But it was the opposite. Ella felt warmth coming around her, acceptance, love…

 

Ella looked up to see Azrael standing a few feet away watching her. She didn’t have on her glasses. Or high-waisted jeans, or a cat sweater. Her eyes were dark, and she stood there in a long-black cloak, as still as, well, Death.

 

“Seriously? You wait until it’s all over to show up?”

 

“It’s not exactly over, man. Anyway, I’ve had a huge mess to clean up lately.” Azrael stepped up to the swings and leaned back against the bars. “People dying who weren’t supposed to die. People coming back to life. Just kind of a busy week at work, if you know what I mean.”

 

“I _do._ Finally.” Ella sucked in her cheeks. “Would’ve been nice to hear it from _you_ , instead of your brother.”

 

“Given your fam, El, I wasn’t about to let a kid go around talking about her imaginary friend the Angel of Death.” Azrael rolled her eyes. “Catholic school, nuns in the family? I didn’t want you locked up or part of some kind of exorcism. I figured sending you after Michael would lead to you figuring things out. But… I had to risk it. There was no one else I could trust, at the time.”

 

“Not even _Amenadiel_?” Ella said.

“Those two do _not_ get along.” Azrael moved to sit in the other seat. She kicked off gently and smiled as she began to swing back and forth.

 

Ella joined her. Rising as she fell. Falling as she rose.

 

They’d done this before. Ella had been so small, and Azrael had been almost exactly the same. Ella remembered now. The first time she’d seen her. The Angel’s hair had been a bit longer, more tousled and wild. Her eyes had been keener and colder. She’d stood over a broken child, cloak pooling around her as she knelt down. Ella remembered the little silver fish on the collar of her cloak.

 

“I-I’m scared,” Ella had choked.

 

And Azrael had looked down on her, dark eyes softening. There was a light in her, somewhere beneath all that darkness.

 

“Don’t be scared,” Azrael whispered. She pressed her hand against Ella’s small chest and a ghost of a smile touched her lips.

 

Years had passed. With her friend Rae Rae (who usually favored quirky t-shirts and jeans instead of a dramatic cloak) coming by to swing with her when her brothers had ditched her. To sit with her in her room when she’d gotten in trouble. Rae Rae never aged, although she grew warmer and more vibrant as time went on. She’d never said who she was, exactly, until Ella’s family had started pressuring Ella to stop talking to her imaginary friend.

 

Ella dragged her feet back over the dirt, slowing her swing a little. “Rae Rae. Did you save me that day?”

 

“That’d be a pretty big deal, if it were true,” Azrael said. She kicked her feet and swung higher.

 

Ella frowned and slowed until she was no longer moving, even as Azrael soared above her. All at once, Azrael launched herself out of the swing and iridescent black wings exploded from her cloak. Ella stood, afraid Rae Rae was about to leave again, questions still in the air.

 

Instead of taking off, Azrael floated to the ground. Her feet touched the dirt, her wings rustled, and she stood there, staring into the distance away from Ella.

 

“Not everyone dies, you know. But that sort of thing isn’t usually up to me.”

 

“Then who is it up to?” Ella asked.

 

“I’m the Angel _of_ Death. I’m not _Death_.” Azrael looked over her shoulder and crooked a humorless smile. “Think of me as Death’s intern. Dad gave me to her. Death can’t _not_ exist. It’s a big universe, and there are a _lot_ of facets of her. And I became one of them.”

 

She turned, her black wings seeming to catch bits of the light as the wind ruffled her feathers. “But… sometimes, Death will agree not to take someone. Cain, for example. Dad talked to Death about it, and she agreed not to take him until he’d freed himself of his Mark. The son of the Dream King, when he wanted to go into the Underworld to find his wife. Also, this guy named Robert. Though, he’s nobody special. Death just liked his moxie. The guy has balls. He’s still kicking somewhere.”

 

Ella wanted to ask the question that had been burning in her mind since the car ride with Lucifer and Linda. At the same time, she was afraid to know where this was going.

 

“Have _you_ ever agreed not to take someone?” Ella managed, finally.

 

“No. But I did _decide_ not to.” Azrael pressed her hands together. “Once. Thing is, I _shouldn’t_ have. I don’t think. I take people wherever they want to go after they’ve died. Psychopomp business. But no one noticed, if there was one extra little girl. No one got upset about it. Death didn’t even care. I’d know if she did. And Dad never bothered to say anything, not that I’ve heard from him in forever. So maybe I was supposed to do it. Or maybe I wasn’t.”

 

Azrael pinched her lips to the side and looked down. “I can take you. If you want.”

 

Ella swallowed. “Right _now_?”

 

“Right now. Tomorrow. A year from now. A _hundred_ years from now…”

 

It felt as though the air had just been snatched from Ella’s lungs. “Wh-What would have happened if I’d gotten caught in that bomb in Lux??”

 

“The paramedics fishing you out would have called it a miracle.”

 

“This is _insane_.”

 

“I know.” Azrael shrugged. “Pretty sure this is why Death-proper doesn’t do this that often. And only when the person asks for it.”

 

“Why would you do this for _me_? I’m _nobody_!”

 

Azrael’s eyes creased at the corners fondly. “I think you’ve proven by now, you’re pretty special to every angel that’s ever met you. It was selfish, but I don’t regret what I did.”

 

“No, I mean—“ Ella huffed. “I’m not a perfectly moral virgin—Or a virgin _at all_. I’ve smoked pot. Done molly and cocaine. I have a gambling addiction, and I used to _steal cars_. I’m a big crazy mess! What about this is worth granting special celestial favors?!”

 

Azrael came up and wrapped her arms around Ella, and Ella sagged into them.

 

“It’s ineffable. That thing inside you that makes you light up the lives of everyone around you. You’re just gonna have to accept that, to us Elohim, you’re _worth it_.”

 

“I swear, the past few days…”

 

“Yeah, it’s been pretty batshit all around.” Azrael sighed heavily. “Thanks for looking out for them.”

 

“No problem.” Ella hooked her chin over Azrael’s shoulder. It had been a long time since she and Rae Rae had gotten close enough to do this. After the “ghost” thing, Azrael had committed to it and they didn’t touch much.  Ella’s head was still spinning with the possibility that she couldn’t die unless she specifically requested it. She really needed the hug.

 

“Can anyone else see you right now, or does it just look like I’m hugging the air?” Ella asked suddenly.

 

Azrael chuckled and flexed her shoulders, folding her wings away. “Okay, now people can see me.”

 

“Your siblings forget to do that with the wings.”

 

“The ones that live up in the Silver City don’t have a lot of sense. Not that Lu does, most of the time, but he’s still my favorite brother.”

 

Ella let Azrael go. “He’ll be okay up there, won’t he? Even though your other siblings won’t be so happy to see him?”

 

Azrael glanced up. “He’s with Michael. They’ll both come back feeling healthier and stronger. I can’t see the others picking much of a fight, even if they tell Lu to scram. Most of them hate him, or are pretty terrified of him. I can go check, though. It’s been a while since I was up there. I mean, more than a second or so dropping someone off.”

 

“Why is your job so intense? Aren’t there hundreds of angels?”

 

“No one ever accused Dad of delegating jobs evenly.” Azrael dug her toe into the dirt. “You should meet Death. She’s a pretty cool boss. I think you’d like her.”

 

“You think I’d like… Death.” Ella sighed. “This is my life now.”

 

Azrael bit the inside of her lip. “Sorry.”

 

“Don’t be. I just… Got a lot to think about when we can all catch a breath.”

 

“I hope that’s soon. C’mon. I’m not leaving you here when there’s so much crazy around.” Azrael closed her eyes for a second, then looked off to the horizon. “I’m gonna drop you off somewhere safe.”

 

“I get another angel ride? Are you a smoother one than Lucifer?”

 

Azrael snorted. “He flies like a drunk moth. You gotta be more subtle when you’re ferrying souls around.”

 

Ella wrapped her arms around Azrael again and gasped slightly as Azrael’s wings spread again. She could see before her as the world blurred ever so slightly, and they became invisible.

 

What must it be like, living behind that veil, spending your days in taking souls from the world? More than anything, the way angels (or Elohim) had to _live_ , stuck with such crappy jobs. How could any loving father demand so much of them without giving them love and support? It was insufferable.

 

The wind whipped around them as Azrael took off.

 

* * *

 

“Mommy!” hissed a Hellion clinging to Maze’s shoulder.

 

She grabbed it by the neck and sent it plunging to the street just as she gripped the ledge of Lucifer’s penthouse. There were still others behind her, but once she had the higher ground, they began to retreat, crawling backward over the wall.

 

“Creepy little fuckers,” Maze muttered. She crouched down and peered into the main room where she could see movement. And the smell… She smelled… No! He couldn’t be _here_.

 

She skirted around low, hoping to maintain some element of surprise, even if they’d clearly kept the Hellions on guard to prevent someone from coming through, but they were distracted now. The first thing that came into view was one of Raz’s roots flickering around against the stone floor and…

 

One wrapped around Eve’s neck. Eve was still struggling weakly, but her face was already tinged purple. In one fluid motion, Maze swung her knife forward, severing the root. Raz howled and whipped around angrily.

 

“You!” he shouted.

 

“ _You_!” Maze snapped back. “Why are you helping him?!”

 

“I don’t have a _choice_.”

 

Raz struck at her legs with a root, but she jumped over it and launched herself at him. His rangy form crouched over as his floppy, fibrous wings flapped a strong gust of wind at her. Maze fell back hard against the stairs, and Raz turned from her to the others in the room. Chloe lay on the ground, with Sandalphon standing over her with a knife in his side, and Trixie…

 

Trixie looked and smelled _like Michael_. She shook, and her eyes _glowed_. What had they _done_ to her?

 

“Trixie!” Maze struggled to her feet as Raz shoved Trixie back and stood protectively by Sandalphon.

 

“Bring her to me!” Sandalphon ordered.

 

“She _stabbed_ you!” Raz reached out with one root to grab Chloe around the waist as she tried to inch toward Trixie.

 

“This will not _work_ if we don’t have her.”

 

Chloe shrieked as Raz lifted her into the air.

 

“I dunno,” Raz drawled. “Lucifer has been pretty mopey about _this_ one. I bet we can get him to come just for her.”

 

“Let go of my mom!” Trixie yelled.

 

Maze hurried in front of her. “You’re not taking her again.”

 

“It’s okay, monkey! You stay here and just tell Lucifer what happened, okay?” Chloe managed with a shaky voice, clinging uncertainly to the root holding her.

 

Sandalphon groaned as Raz pulled the knife out of his side. “We need _Michael_.”

 

“I bet you could get this to work with just Luci, though. He’s still half of what we need. Why risk it all on the Archangel?”

 

Sandalphon grabbed the knife and pointed it at him. “Don’t you want your _face_ back, Raziraphael?”

 

Raz’s bark-like nose wrinkled. Behind Maze, Trixie jerked and shook. Still gasping for breath, Eve moved behind Trixie and held her shoulders.

 

“What did you _do_?” Maze demanded. “Did you poison her? Do some batshit Enochian ritual?”

 

Sandalphon ignored her as he gestured Raz toward them. Obediently, but with a stubborn expression brewing between two mossy brows, the walking mold growth lurched toward them.

 

“You aren’t getting your hands on her, Raz,” Maze warned.

 

“Please, just take me and let her go!” Chloe cried.

 

Raz dropped her abruptly on the ground. Chloe’s head knocked against a table, and she didn’t move.

 

“Mom!”

 

“Stay behind me, Trixie,” Maze warned.

 

Raz narrowed his eyes into slits, a radioactive green seething behind the swollen lids. His roots lifted, and noxious plumes emanated from him, filling the air, making it thick and treacherous. Maze felt her lungs seize, and she knew the air would soon be deadly for the humans in the room. Although she couldn’t get to Chloe, she reached for Trixie to find the girl unchanged, nostrils flaring as she stared down Sandalphon and Raz.

 

Meanwhile, Eve, like Chloe, was on the floor. She’d already been struggling to breathe and probably didn’t have much time. The choked gasps cut straight into Maze’s heart.

 

 _Sorry, Lucifer,_ she thought as she grabbed Eve in one arm, threw Trixie over her shoulder, and bolted for the bedroom and fresh air. A root caught her ankle, and she knocked her chin against the hard marble, spilling Eve onto the floor, while Trixie remained tightly in her arms.

 

Blinking rapidly, Maze struggled to pull free, but another root came around her waist, and her neck, and around both of her arms. Soon, she and Trixie were covered from head to toe, and everything went black.


	12. Obstacle Course of Fallen Angels

Though the folds of reality, Lucifer dropped down to Earth and landed on his balcony with his arm still wrapped around Michael’s shoulders. He could feel the wrongness in the air from the very moment they returned. His penthouse was even more of a mess than he’d left it, and only a few days could have elapsed since their jot up to Heaven. They hadn’t even spent half an hour up there.

 

“Unn.”

 

Michael bowed over slightly, grimacing, and Lucifer gripped him tightly.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Y-You don’t feel pain in Heaven. It’s a little too easy to get used to.” Michael drew in a slow breath and rubbed a hand over his stomach.

 

“All the more reason you ought to have _stayed_ there,” Lucifer pointed out.

 

“That’s not an option for me. I meant what I said.” He shook his head. “Don’t worry. My wounds have healed.”

 

“Then, just take it easy, won’t you? Try keep my niece in one piece.”

 

Michael smiled a little, then looked around the penthouse. “What… _happened_ here?”

 

“No idea.” Lucifer took out his phone, which was buzzing away now with messages. “Why do people _always_ throw parties here when I’m out of town?”

 

“Do you smell that?” Michael pressed the back of his hand over his mouth and stifled a gag.

 

“How about you have a seat?” Lucifer said irritably as texted.

 

Michael complied but kept his have over his mouth and nose. “It smells like mold. And blood. And angels. I think Sandy was here.”

 

Lucifer checked his phone and turned toward the remains of his bedroom. “Breathe through your shirt. We’re going to meet up with the others in a mo.”

 

“What are you doing?” Michael called.

 

Lucifer returned with a cardigan sweater for Michael (a white, fussy looking remnant from Lucifer’s undercover assignment with Cain) and a proper suit jacket for himself. There wasn’t too much else he could do without a proper shower for both of them and time to tame both of their hair, but it didn’t matter. Once Michael buttoned up the loose cardigan, which would do more for him at any unfortunate angles to definitely cover his barely-there tummy, they were both off again.

 

* * *

 

Lucifer’s house in the hills was pretty impressive, and as the last home that both had all of its walls intact (for the moment), had no neighbors to scare, and was probably off of Sandalphon’s radar, it was the best home base for the time being. Linda came in from the kitchen with some snacks and looked around at Amenadiel speaking with his siblings about another failed sweep of the city. Charlie played in the middle of the room, with Ella and Eve nearby. She was so tremendously grateful that Charlie was safe, but…

 

Who knew what had happened to Chloe, Trixie, and Maze? Amenadiel had led the others in looking for them nonstop. Dan had been calling, but there was nothing that they could tell him.

 

Eve had come to, alone, in an empty penthouse. She’d told them about how Maze had tried to drag her away from the toxic green mist, and how Sandalphon and his plant minion had been determined to take Trixie with them, no matter what.

 

But even with all the details Eve had given them about the fight, they hadn’t been able to recover those they had lost. With Lucifer gone, their planning had been scattered at best. Ella checked in with the police, keeping them updated on for any odd disturbances. That had only made it easier for Team Angels to swoop in and take care of any demons popping up around in the city, but it seemed that Sandalphon was keeping a low profile for now.

 

“I think the scariest thing wasn’t the walking plant guy,” Eve muttered. She held her hand to Charlie’s back as he smacked one block against another. “It was how that Sandy guy thought my prayer was so funny. I didn’t mean to do it, but… It’s scary that someone can hear what you’re thinking. That he can _do that_ , you know? Hear aaaalll the prayers of aaall these humans in need, and he’s still so _crazy_ cruel. Even to his partner, he was just _mean_.”

 

“Yeah. I get it.” Ella bobbed her head. “I mean, demons gonna deem, I guess. But he’s an _angel_.”

 

“The thing about angels, I’ve found,” Linda said, sitting with them and reaching out for Charlie. “Is that they’re just _people_. And that means some of them are selfish, or foolish, or misguided, but they can also be kind and loving. It’s the choices that make them who they are.”

 

She glanced over at Amenadiel talking with his siblings. Or with Remiel, anyway, as Duma only listened and occasionally gestured to Remiel. It was interesting to her that the young man (neither young, nor a man really, but…) was clearly suffering from selective mutism resulting from unresolved post-traumatic stress during adolescence, but because their father had indicated that he wanted Duma to remain silent and “contemplate on divinity” (whatever that meant), no one even tried to get him to talk.

 

It seemed like the entire Heavenly Host could use some therapy.

 

Remiel twirled her spear around and struck Lucifer’s coffee table, cracking it clean in half. Charlie let out a wail surprise, and Linda pulled him to her chest.

 

“I should have gone with the humans and the demon from the start!” Remiel snapped. “We should have realized Sandalphon would never attempt such feats on his own. He was _never_ like the other rebels. As wrongheaded as they were… They were quite bold and straightforward in their demands. There was no sneaking around, kidnapping, lying, tricking—”

 

“You don’t get to be one of the Fallen without making _some_ bad choices,” Amenadiel said. He frowned pensively and came over to comfort Charlie. “I do find it cowardly of him to have been hiding in Hell for so long.”

 

“He was _always_ a coward,” Remiel said. “And _selfish_. He should have simply gone down from the beginning to help Lucifer run his kingdom. You can’t even hear prayers down there. It would have probably been the first peace Sandy had in his whole life.”

 

“That’s quite an empathetic take,” Linda said. She lifted Charlie into Amenadiel’s arms.

 

“If he cannot be good, he could at the very _least_ be useful.”

 

Duma frowned deeply and came over to sit next to Ella. He seemed troubled, but of course, he wouldn’t be telling anyone what he was thinking. His hand touched his lips, and he shook his head. Then, he glanced up at Remiel and tapped his nose twice.

 

“I don’t know.” Remiel shrugged. “Even after going back several times, I cannot identify all of the scents I found there. Demons, humans, miracles, Elohim. I thought I scented _Michael_ there, but I know he . I’ve never had such difficulty hunting someone down.”

 

Amenadiel rubbed Charlie’s back in circles. The boy had stopped crying, but he was looking around curiously. “Maze’s skills would have come in handy about now.”

 

“I am the best huntress in the Silver City,” Remiel objected.

 

“Yes,” Linda said slowly. She was growing tired of this woman’s attitude. “You _are_. But you haven’t spent that much time on _Earth_.”

 

“Also, Maze has worked with us at the LAPD,” Ella pointed out. “Personal attributes aside…  I don’t think there’s ever been someone she couldn’t find.”

 

“A mere _demon_ could not possibly outpace _any_ Elohim, let alone a seraph—“

 

A loud rustling of feathers and thud just outside caused all of them to go quiet immediately. Linda reached for Charlie, then hurried back toward the hallway. Before she could get too far, Lucifer strolled in, with Michael at his side (looking only a bit peaked), and Linda breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“You scared us!” she said.

 

“Speak for yourself, human,” Remiel said.

 

“Your raised spear suggests, at the very least, _concern_ ,” Lucifer chided. He glanced over to his demolished coffee table. “If you’re going to hole up on one of my properties, could you at the very least go easy on my furniture? I have enough renovating to do as is.”

 

Ella leapt up and came at Michael with a hug. “Oh, man! I’m so glad you’re okay, buddy! How do you feel?”

 

Michael let out a soft laugh and wrapped his arms around her in return. “Much better. Thank you for keeping me in one piece until Lucifer could get me home for a bit.”

 

Eve waved at Michael with a big smile.

 

“Hello there, Trouble,” he deadpanned, and Eve grinned even wider.  
  


“Mm.” Lucifer nodded and looked mournfully at his coffee table. “Sorry for the delay. Heaven’s so sluggish, you know. And I wanted to grab a pair of specs for the twin. I assume we’ll need him seeing properly, at some point, and his wings haven’t returned yet.” He paused and looked around. “Where’s Chloe?”

 

The silence was palpable, and when no answer was forthcoming, Lucifer’s eyes narrowed and seemed to flicker.

 

Linda stepped forward, bracing herself for Lucifer’s temper. “We _will_ find her.”

 

“What _happened_? I take off for a _day_ to keep the world from ending—“

 

“You were gone for _several_ days,” Amenadiel said. “We’ve been trying to keep the situation under control in your absence—“

 

“And _clearly_ , you’ve done a bang up job! Now, not only is the urchin gone, but the _detective_?” Lucifer said angrily.

 

“And Maze,” Eve added, unhelpfully.

 

Lucifer threw his hands up.

 

“Urchin?” Michael asked.

 

“Chloe’s daughter, Trixie,” Ella supplied.

 

“Sandy took them?” Michael shook his head and crossed his arms. “Then, we find him and get them back.”

 

“It isn’t so easy,” Amenadiel said sternly.

 

“Maybe not for _you_ ,” Michael replied in kind. “However, what happens now ought to be fairly straightforward. Sandy found me in the penthouse. He found me at Linda’s house. He found me on a _bus_. Now that I’ve returned, he _will_ locate me, and we will take care of him. Our brother can be tricky and he can be cruel, but he is _no match_ for a pair of archangels and the Hand of God.”

 

“We cannot just rush in again without a plan,” Amenadiel argued.

 

“We cannot _wait_ to lure him out! Sandy has a _child_!”

 

“So do _you_!” Amenadiel roared back.

 

Michael leaned back as if struck, the agitation drained from his face and was replaced with deep concern and conflict. Linda looked to Lucifer, who rolled his eyes and covered them with a hand. Duma reached back and took Michael’s hand, giving it a squeeze.

 

“Good to see you again, little brother.” Michael touched the top of Duma’s head affectionately. “Whatever did you come down here for?”

 

“He and Remiel planned taking you up to Heaven to let you die there,” Lucifer said.

 

Michael’s brows raised, as Remiel made a noise of protest.

 

“It was nothing personal, brother. If the Demiurge—“

 

“I’m not offended. But you should realize that my death within any of the planes would result in the very disaster you were hoping to avoid. You’d really have to take Azrael’s blade, cut open reality, and drop me somewhere else to die.” Michael shrugged, and Ella guided him toward the sofa to sit between her and Duma. “I remain unconvinced that between Lucifer and Amenadiel, Sandy would stand a chance. He doesn’t even have Uriel anymore, and I may _not_ be at my best, but I kept him from getting close to me before. Even if we couldn’t simply overpower him, I’m certain if you handed _me_ over to him—”

 

“No, I hate to say it— _believe me_ —but Amenadiel’s right,” Lucifer said. “We’re _not_ risking you. Not after all this. Not with what he wants to _do_ with you.”

 

Michael looked up at Lucifer, his eyes pleading. “I’m not exactly keen on the concept of birthing him an army, but Sammy, I _cannot_ let him hurt another child in my place.”

 

“I know you feel that way,” Linda said, coming closer to the group. “And I appreciate how you fought to protect Charlie from him. At the same time, though, this is _exactly_ what he’s expecting. Eve heard him talking about this as the _very thing_ to get you to give yourself to them. This isn’t a regular hostage situation. He’s playing psychological warfare to get us all to make mistakes. It was how he got his hands on Chloe and Maze to begin with.”

 

Eve nodded emphatically, and Linda realized that for the moment, a small host of Celestials had every eye in rapt attention on her. Her heart might just jump out of her chest, but she tried to articulate her words slowly and carefully.

 

“And if we’re honest, Michael, this kind of maneuvering was how he was able to capture you initially. I know all of you are stronger than him. But he still has allies, and he’s good at playing these games.”

 

Michael curled and arm around his middle and pressed his lips together. “We’re going to need more of a plan, and I’m not much of a strategist.” He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. “I’m so sorry, Sammy.”

 

“This isn’t your fault,” Lucifer said flippantly. “Sandy, now _he_ can give us all an apology.”

 

“People you care about have been captured by our psychopath of a brother. It doesn’t have to be precisely my fault for me to express sympathy and regret.” Michael’s fingers curled into a fist. “But, as it happens, it is a little bit.” He looked to Linda. “Who are his allies? The demons?”

 

“They’re _all_ in a lot of trouble,” Lucifer murmured, strolling over to the small bar to pour himself a drink.

 

“Some plant demon,” Eve said. “Not like the others. The small crawly ones wearing masks? Or the sluggy ones. He was… huge. As tall as you, Luce, and he was smart. Talked to Sandalphon like he was his partner.” Her brow furrowed. “But Sandalphon treated him like garbage. He had an R name. Ralph?”

 

“That is not an angel name,” Remiel said in annoyance.

 

Eve rolled her eyes up as she tried to remember. “Raaamsey, maybe? Raspberry?”

 

“Raz?” Lucifer said in surprise.

 

Eve pointed at him. “That’s the one.”

 

Lucifer’s expression grew grave. “He’s not a demon.”

 

“If not a demon, then what?” Amenadiel asked.

 

“He’s…” Lucifer sighed. “Well, he’s one of us. Or… he _was_.”

 

 

* * *

 

 _Where_ was Lucifer?

 

Chloe was trying to keep the faith, for what that was worth, but they had been kept in this burned out warehouse office for days now, and there was no sign of him or the other angels. What could be keeping them?

 

It would have been easier to have patience if Trixie didn’t look completely possessed. Her eyes hadn’t stopped glowing since they’d been taken, and every so often, she’d wake and speak in some language that Chloe had never heard before. Chloe hadn’t even woken until Trixie had “laid hands” on her after cutting her own ties with a _straight razor_.

 

“It’s okay, Monkey,” Chloe promised as Trixie began muttering in tongues again. “You’re going to be okay. Just keep breathing.”

 

She pulled her daughter to her chest, and Trixie curled over like a comma and rested her head on her chest. As her fingers moved through Trixie’s hair, Chloe could feel the heat coming off of her. She glanced up at the nightmare fuel standing by the door, dead-eyed and still. It was hard to say whether she even acknowledged Chloe and Trixie’s presence.

 

Sandalphon hadn’t once come back to check on them personally. He seemed content to let Trixie suffer, and he was completely unconcerned that Chloe might find a way out. It wasn’t entirely arrogance. Chloe had checked the windows. The building was surrounded by various demon types, and while there weren’t very many of any one type, Chloe doubted she could take down even one of them unarmed and their numbers seemed to be increasing.

 

Even if she could, that thing by the door would probably tear them to shreds. At first glance, she didn’t seem very intimidating. On the outside glowed a perfect, dewy complexion. Shining black doll-eyes and pursed rosebud lips created an image of sugar-spun sweetness. She looked no older than a fifteen-year-old girl. But that perfect outer skin had very noticeable cracks. Underneath, visible through the gaps in her skin lay an undulating bloody red. Her lips beneath were a gash in her face. Her eyes were empty sockets. She was poorly masked walking wound.

 

“They’re back, Mommy,” Trixie murmured.

 

Chloe’s eyes flickered up to their “guard,” who made no sign that she’d even heard them, and kept her tone even. “Hm? Who is, baby? Lucifer?”

 

“And Michael,” her voice sounded strange, as though there were two of her speaking at once. “You can’t let them come here. The bad angels will hurt them.”

 

“I don’t think I could stop Lucifer from doing _anything_ , but let’s both be ready when he comes, okay?”

 

Chloe wished she knew where Maze was, or what this _thing_ in front of them was, or what that plant monster had been. Or _anything_ about angels that might give them an edge. When this was over, she was going to be pumping everyone on Team Celestial for whatever information they could give her.

 

* * *

 

“I’m no bloody shrink,” Lucifer said, rubbing his hands together as he paced. “I had the leaders of each group pulled out of their personal rooms. Doctor This, who feels guilty for boffing his patient. Doctor That, who feels responsible about a patient’s shooting spree. A CPS worker taking all the sins of the parents on her shoulders and reliving every horrid scene of abused children. No rapists, no murderers, no white supremacists, obviously.”

 

“You sent them to _Hell therapy_?” Amenadiel said in disbelief.

 

“Indeed,” Lucifer confirmed. “And in each group, I included similarly mild offenders. At first, I was afraid the rooms would just give them all a shared Hell, but with the therapists leading, it wasn’t so bad. They could get through their challenges a bit. They could gather and talk with one another regularly.” He sighed heavily. “And I set up one of the Dre’thkarim in each of the rooms.”

 

“I fail to see what your failed therapy for demons has to do with the situation at hand,” Remiel said.

 

Amenadiel held up a hand to her. “Luci, what did you mean that he’s one of _us_?”

 

“Just what I said,” Lucifer fussed with his cuffs. “Raz was, and _is_ , Raziraphale. And apparently knows it, now.”

 

“Raziraphale died a long time ago,” Amenadiel said quietly. “That creature could not be one of our brothers.”

 

“He sure didn’t _look_ like an angel,” Eve admitted. “And Maze called him Raz. Like they were friends.”

 

Remiel’s dark eyes glinted with intensity and hunger for the hunt. “Brother, we’re dealing with _Fallen_.”

 

“You don’t know that. Father _destroyed_ the rebels,” Amenadiel argued. “We’ve never seen any of them alive, apart from Lucifer.”

 

“Except I’ve been _living_ with them, and I am _telling_ you that’s who he is. None of them remembered who they were before, _hence_ the Hell Therapy! It was the only thing I could think of to help them come back to themselves. You can’t forgive yourself if you don’t even know who you are!” Lucifer shook his head. “I’d given up a _long_ time ago with them. The demons ended up giving them a name, ‘The Children of Suffering,’ rather than ‘The Children of El,’ like we used to be.”

 

Lucifer glanced at his hands, remembering those early days when his fallen sibling walked the sparse grounds of Hell, seeing their new home for the first time. Feeling the perpetual agony of their new bodies for the first time. Their pain itself had spawned demons from the psychic landscape of Hell.

 

“They didn’t even know _me_ , apart from knowing that I was in charge,” he continued. “With all the awkwardness you might imagine goes along with _that_ dynamic.” He paused, seeing the stubborn look of disturbance and disbelief on Remiel’s face and gave in to the urge to push her a bit further. “Truth be told, when I’m deep enough in my feels, I’m as ugly as any of them.”

 

“They self-actualized,” Linda said, her voice hushed and horrified. “Into something they couldn’t fight their way out of.”

 

“Denial is a grand coping mechanism, Doctor, and I know you and I worked very hard—well, you more so than me—to break that denial down. But it saved me for a _very_ long time. Without it, I don’t know that I would have found a way back from… _that_.” He met Amenadiel’s eyes. His brother was clearly remembering Lucifer changing into his monstrous form at the Mayan to quell a demon rebellion. “If you were down in Hell, you likely met Abaddon at the front gate. Bone plate for a face? Never-ending blood fountain in her wings? I think she misses you, in her way, but she’s entirely empty, now.”

 

Amenadiel’s jaw was twitching. “Sh-she called me DeeDee.”

 

“That’s a good sign, actually.” Lucifer shrugged his head to the side. Though, he wasn’t prepared to allow any hope that it had been any more than a glimmer of a memory from her. “She always was the only one who could get away with giving you a nickname.”

 

“Who is she?” Linda asked.

 

“ _My_ sister,” Amenadiel said possessively. “The second born of the Elohim. The first of the female angels. The first to join Lucifer’s cause. I…” His eyes dropped to the floor.

 

“Abrienadiel,” Michael whispered. “Abby… Wait. Was she…?”

 

“With me when I found you? Yes.” Lucifer shook his head and then folded his fingers behind it. “I don’t know how many of them might have joined Sandalphon. I don’t think Abby would have, but I fear for her, if the others did.”

 

“Man,” Ella said. “So… You have an obstacle course of Fallen angels between you and Trixie and Chloe?”

 

“And Maze,” Eve added quitetly.

 

Michael swayed where he stood and leaned back into the sofa again. Duma touched his shoulder.

 

“I mean, at best, we outnumber them, or would if we could free Maze. Sandalphon isn’t much of a fighter, and if worst came to worst, and he had all of the Dre’thkarim besides Abby, that’s still only four,” Lucifer said. “They are fearsome, though, so I’d brace yourselves.”

 

“Who? Which ones survived?” Amenadiel said. Lucifer felt a bit sorry for him. He looked so upset at the thought.

 

“Raz, of course. Belial, Corithiel, and Naamah. The first three would be the toughest in a head-to-head fight, but if Naamah has joined the game…”

 

“I don’t even remember what her gift was,” Remiel admitted. “I only remember being surprised that she joined you. She was so young.”

 

“Empathy,” Michael supplied.

 

Remiel scoffed. “Then we separate them and fight one to one.”

 

“Except we cannot do that, Remi,” Amenadiel scolded. “Because Michael is _not_ going to be going into the fray.”

 

Michael rolled his eyes. “I don’t need to come within range of a sword to cause damage.”

 

“I am _intimately_ aware of that fact,” Amenadiel said flatly.

 

Lucifer bit back a laugh. Apparently getting jettisoned through a wall by his wounded, pregnant brother hadn’t done much for Amenadiel’s ego.

 

“Just be prepared to cover your ears,” Michael warned.

 

“That sounds dangerous,” Linda said. “Do we need to brace ourselves for more earthquakes?”

 

“Not if I control it. And we’re assuming a lot. Raz may be Sandy’s only convert.” Michael’s lips twitched slightly. “Sandalphon was never the most _charming_ of the rebels.”

 

Eve covered her mouth as a laugh threatened to escape. “Oh. No. Not at all.”

 

Michael closed his eyes, and Lucifer frowned at his brother. He didn’t want Michael trying to power through this to save Trixie and Chloe only to harm himself again. They’d just pieced him back together.

 

Remiel tapped the end of her spear against the ground. “We need more than hope and speculation. If Sandalphon was going to make a move, if he were going to overwhelm us with sick, mad angels, he would not be relying on tricks and kidnapping. He is still afraid of the Archangel and is leveraging he goodness and Lucifer’s selfishness to ensure that Michael comes to him without resistance. We will have to mount a strategy. Allow Sandalphon to think we are playing into _his_ plan.”

 

“The Archangel certainly _looks_ as though he feels truly formidable, currently,” Amenadiel drawled.

 

“My?” Lucifer stepped closer to him. “What is it? Maybe we _had_ better ought to leave you behind—“

 

“There wouldn’t be any—“ Michael drew in a deep breath. “— _Miracles_ running around L.A., would there?”

 

No one spoke for a long, long moment. Just the mention of this secret made Lucifer uncomfortable, even though he still didn’t understand what it meant.

 

“Only Chloe,” Lucifer said.

 

Michael’s eyes popped open, glowing brightly that vibrant, healing green. “Chloe? It must be her child… She must have come in contact with some of my blood. It wouldn’t have done anything to a regular human but give them a bit of extra luck, a day feeling very, very good.”

 

Lucifer leaned forward. “There was blood all over the penthouse, and that’s where Sandy took the child. What’s happening?”

 

“I can see what she sees…” Michael let his head fall back. “Chloe’s fine. She looks good. Unharmed. They’re in some kind of office….” He pinched his eyes shut again, letting out his breath slowly. “Naamah’s there. She… Oh, baby girl… She’s absolutely _destroyed_.”

 

“I know. She’s the hardest to be around, sometimes,” Lucifer admitted. “She felt _everything_ everyone else did during the war. That _we_ did. That _Mum and Dad_ did. It’s like having a hemorrhage shuffling about in ballet slippers. At least Raz can manage a bit of humor now and again. Seems like Sandy got a hold of the younger two Dre’thkarim.” He scoffed. “Kids.”

 

“We need to speed this strategy talk up. That kind of power could burn _right through_ a little girl.”

 

Lucifer groaned and gestured ineffectually with his hands. “Why is it that it’s always so _dramatic and complicated_ when our family comes to visit?”

 

“Sorry, buddy, but all families are like that,” Ella said.

 

Eve nodded and rubbed Michael’s back as he took his glasses off and moved a hand over his eyes.

 

“Are you sure you won’t let me lure him out?” Michael asked. “It would be far faster.”

 

Amenadiel crossed his arms. “Absolutely _not_.”

 

Michael eyed him, irritated, then sighed and looked to Lucifer. “Do you remember that thing you always wanted to do?”

 

“I don’t know that there’s anything I _haven’t_ done,” Lucifer replied.

 

“Not like _that_. I meant, with us—“

 

“Ohhhh.” Lucifer’s eyes lit up.

 

“Can you make it work?” Michael asked hopefully.

 

“That might depend on you more than me.” Lucifer tapped the tip of his index finger against his lips, then turned to look around at who he had at his disposal. “Right, then. Hang onto your trousers and Celestial vestments, kids. This is going to be all hands on deck. Or on the Deckers, as it were.”


	13. Twinsies, Squaresies

Maze couldn’t move.

 

She’d been frozen, stiff and powerless, since she had woken to find herself in an expansive warehouse with a strip of paper stuck to her forehead. It was infuriating. She’d heard of spells like that, something so small, with just a few swipes of ink created from the right rituals, which stopped a demon in its tracks.

 

And apparently it _worked_ , dammit.

 

Maze watched as the dregs of the demon brethren and sistren slowly collected in the large open space. Waves of discordant laughter came from the writhing little bodies. None of the demons that had joined Sandalphon were even slightly worth her time as opponents, but she _couldn’t fucking move_ , so it didn’t matter.

 

When she got this thing off of her forehead, she would absolutely _lay waste_ to ever last chittering, keening, squealing one of them.

 

“One held fast, one held still,” Squatterbloat gurgled. “One half rotten, one half killed.”

 

 _I will rip your fleshy ball-sack of a mouth off,_ Maze thought.

 

“Mazikeen of Lilim held, the heir of Hell felled,” it continued. “She who lay with Dre’thkarim and Elohim, now none need fear she might threaten ‘im!”

 

_This is my punishment for not waiting for backup. The worst of demon poetry._

Raz had propped Maze up against a row of boxes like a discarded action figure. Maze could see him talking with Sandalphon away from the demons milling around in there. How could they be so disloyal? It was one thing to reach for their own freedom, to enjoy the revelries of Earth, to get carried away in their lust for depravity and gore. It was a far different matter to take the side of _another angel_. One who only promised them war on Heaven, which in large part, wasn’t something demons cared about much at all.

 

Heaven was an abstract thing. They weren’t _Fallen_. None of them had been there. It was just some piece of psychic real estate that had brought Lucifer to them, shaped Hell itself, and made a place for them all to gather and breed and torture and wallow. Heaven didn’t matter outside of being the place that the worst of the worst hoped for as they were enduring their punishments.

 

“They’re on their way,” Raz said, coming up to her. “Lucifer and the other angels. I know you’ve always been a loyalist, but you can join us when this is done, Maze. I’ve long had a soft spot for you. I wish you had come back before Lucifer.”

 

Maze did her best to send him a look of pure murder.

 

“We can’t trust you until we have the Archangel and Lucifer secured, but after… I’ll talk with Sandy on your behalf. It would be useful to have you, if we’re going to get the Lilim on our side. They’ll be less inclined to turn on their king. He gave you all a home, when your mother abandoned you in Hell.” Raz scoffed. “Big Devil Daddy. Hell is just a circle-jerk of parental issues, isn’t it?”

 

A pain shot through Maze’s head and gut at the effort to break out of her binding.

 

“Don’t strain yourself.” Raz raked his eyes over her. “The little girl is okay. She’s practically bursting with Celestial energy, but I’m pretty sure Michael is coming to hand himself over, and he’ll be able to draw it out of her. Just relax and wait. The sooner we have him the better.”

 

_I will never forgive you, Raz. Do you hear me? I will never, ever forgive you. I will dismember you slowly, bind you with your own intestines, and rip your spine out through your eye-sockets._

“I hear you, demon woman,” Sandalphon called from somewhere outside of her field of vision. “I wouldn’t get too attached to her, Raziraphale. She doesn’t appear to reciprocate your feelings.”

 

“She seems fine with Dre’thkarim in general,” Raz mused. “No problem sharing Abby’s bed.”

 

“Well, that’s over, isn’t it?” Sandalphon said coldly. “We’ve seen the last of our older sister. What was _left_ of her.” He chuckled dryly. “She would never have made her way back the way you did. The pain of killing her own siblings to protect the other rebels broke her too irreparably.”

 

Something flickered across Raz’s eyes. Something that he didn’t want Sandalphon to see. Had he killed Abaddon, or had he shown his sister mercy? He would have had to get past her to get all of these demons out of Hell. They couldn’t unlock the gate without Lucifer, and Bel and Cor were unaccounted for.

 

And how had Raz convinced little Naamah to join their coup? She wasn’t even _speaking_ , as Raz did. She didn’t even seem to be _there_ , as much as she ever was. She had spent most of her time in Hell transferring the pain of victims to murderers and rapists who felt no guilt for their actions.

 

 _Did you kill Abby?_ Maze thought experimentally.

 

“Obviously, she had to die. She would never betray her baby brother,” Sandalphon said, sounding almost bored. “Abrienadiel was never in it for conquest or free will. She was in it for the good of her siblings. An untenable position, when it came to civil war.”

 

Maze didn’t focus on him as he spoke. She focused on Raz, and she knew all she needed to. Suppressing the need to react to that news, she stared straight ahead and focused on remembering the hellfires of Tyre burning eternally underground, the pits of tar melting away bone and gristle, the smells of desperation and fear, the throngs of bodies undulating in pleasure and pain. _Home_.

 

After some time had passed, Raz and Sandalphon paid her no attention. She passed her time counting the demons around her and formulating plans for how to take out the most of them at once.

 

Eventually, her eyes spotted a congregation entering through the front of the warehouse: Lucifer leading them, as he fussed with his cufflinks and looked down his nose at the demons around them, who parted like a sea of putrescence in front of him. Behind him strode Amenadiel, who gripped Michael’s shoulder as he pushed him along. His mouth had been gagged, his hands and feet tied. His head bowed, all Maze could make out was a fluffy white sweater and a green shirt. At the end of the procession were the younger angels Remiel and Duma.

 

Maze didn’t have much love for Michael. His relationship with Lucifer had always been confusing to her. But he’d been through literal Hell, betrayed by his siblings, and now, at the hands of his older brother, would be turned over along with his child to his torturer.

 

“Hello, Sandy,” Lucifer said in that cheerfully half-sneering way of his. “We’ve brought you Mikey. Hand over the Detective and the Urchin.”

 

“Really?” Sandalphon stepped forward. He narrowed his eyes. “You’re sacrificing your own twin?”

 

“Why _wouldn’t_ I? Not to be a toddler about it, but he turned on me _first_ , the spineless fool. He ought to have realized that Dad didn’t give a damn about him, either.” Lucifer pursed his lips and rolled his shoulders. “Turnabout and all that. Bring out the girl and her Mum, and we’ll call it squaresies, eh?”

 

Raz and Sandalphon looked at one another.

 

“That easy?” Sandalphon chuckled. “I suppose I ought to have sought your help sooner.”

 

“Why ever should I care _what_ you do? Raise a few dozen squalling angel brats off Michael if you must.” Lucifer shrugged. “He’s not good for much else these days anyway. I mean, when _was_ the last time dear old Dad had use for the Voice? Just stop making such a bloody mess on Earth. At least until those two humans you stole have finished their time here. You’ve waited millennia for this. You can wait a human lifetime or two.”

 

“I don’t know that I can promise what will happen to Earth, but I think by now you know that my plans are directed elsewhere. Pity you gave up the fight, Morningstar,” Sandalphon said. “You were quite the rallying commander.”

 

“Well, it got boring.” Lucifer slipped his hands in his pockets. “The humans. Now. Spare me your villain monologue, will you? After today, I’d like to go get a drink.”

 

“Where did you take him?” Raz demanded. “When he disappeared?”

 

“Heaven, of course,” Lucifer snapped. “Can’t have him oozing Demiurge juice everywhere or shaking all of Creation apart. Honestly, Sandy, I’d’ve taken you for a better planner than that. Manage your own damned mess.”

 

“I hadn’t planned on his escaping.” Sandalphon rubbed his index finger and thumb together. “If you care so little, why did you take him out of Hell to begin with?”  
  


“No other angels besides myself and the few surviving Fallen have graced the insides of the gates of Hell. It is as bad as it gets there, but it is _mine_.” Lucifer clicked his tongue. “You’d do well to remember that. You don’t have Uriel to help you anymore.”  
  
“I have your demons all around me. You really feel so bold?”

 

Lucifer swept a glance around at the mass of demons. As if they had rehearsed, every one of them bowed. Maze wished she could throw a smirk at Sandalphon.

 

“Not worried. The _girls_ , Sandy. Bring ‘em out, or I’ll take Michael back and have him whelp that Nephilim bastard somewhere else.”

 

Maze felt uneasy. Something was off, and she feared that Sandalphon would notice it, or that he would feel her sensing it. But his abilities, related to prayer and thought, didn’t appear to extend that far. Or he was so busy trying to focus on the angels in front of him that he wasn’t paying enough attention. No one was praying, after all.

 

Sandalphon jerked his head to the side, and Raz left for a moment, returning quickly with his roots wrapped around Trixie. Lucifer opened his mouth to say something, but Raz launched her forward, and Lucifer caught her in his arms.

 

“The Detective, too,” he objected.

 

“The Archangel _first_ ,” Sandy sneered. “If you care so little what happens to him.”

 

Amenadiel stepped forward and shoved Michael toward them. He stumbled and fell forward onto his knees.

 

“There,” Amenadiel barked. “Enjoy him. Give up the human. We’re not allowed to kill them regardless, Sandy. You know that. What would you even do with her?”

 

Michael glanced over his shoulder at them, frowning, then over to Maze.

 

“Oh, I don’t know.” Sandalphon came over to Michael and trailed a finger along his jaw. “We’ll need human ova to keep our initiative running.”

 

Michael recoiled from him angrily.

 

“I know you _let_ yourself be bound, Michael.” Sandalphon smirked. “No matter how selfish your wickeder half is, I knew _you_ would never allow an innocent to be harmed, even if you’ve never even met the child. Now you’ll just have to bear with things, won’t you?”

 

But the expression on Michael’s face was familiar. Too familiar. Understanding washed over Maze along with a panic. She looked over to the group of angels, where Lucifer was bent over Trixie, placing his hands with such tenderness and care over her cheek, over her heart. The bizarre light began to fade and seemed to swell into him, and he whispered into her ear and embraced her, ever so gently, before shooing her over to Duma.

 

The trick was so obvious, so _basic_. Maze felt a bit stupid for not realizing sooner that for the first time ever, the Archangel and Devil had _traded places_. Neither Sandalphon nor Raz nor any of the demons seemed to have caught on, however. Lucifer didn’t lie, but Michael didn’t seem to have _any_ hesitation about such things, or about brutally mocking himself in front of his captors to get Trixie to safety.

 

Lucifer knelt before Sandalphon and Raz, bound and gagged and eyes utterly livid. He might give the game away if they started flashing now. Amenadiel had remained at Michael’s side, standing uncomfortably close.

 

“Find your dairy section somewhere else,” Michael drawled, in an accent just a hair different from Lucifer’s. “Give us the Detective.”

 

“I think I’ll hang onto her for now. Just in case you get any other ideas, Luci.” Sandalphon’s lips twisted in a humorless smile, and with a nod to Raz, the latter pulled out a wicked looking spear and sank it deep into Lucifer’s side. “No more getting away, brother. It’s time to serve your purpose.”

 

Just then, a slender hand reached up to Maze’s face and snatched away the binding paper. She glanced back only for a second to see Ella’s wide, terrified eyes as the woman stood there holding the binding paper. Then, Maze sprang forward.

 

* * *

 

Lucifer knew his ruse had worked a little too well as a long root tossed him unceremoniously into the office, with a _spear_ sticking out of his side, and the door slammed shut. Outside, Michael let out a cry that made the building’s foundations tremble. Maze had launched herself at Raz, and though he couldn’t see it, he knew Remiel and Amenadiel had moved into position as Duma whisked Trixie away to Eve to keep the child clear of the fight.

 

It would be tricky enough to get Michael to take a step back with all of those demons everywhere, let alone with Lucifer immobilized and groaning on the floor. They’d known there was a fair possibility he’d be injured and taken out of the fight early, but he could take it. The only problem was that his head was beginning to whirl in that way it had when he’d been shot at Lux.

 

And there was no alcohol here, or kissing friends, to keep his mind off of it.

 

“Michael? Oh, God!”

 

In spite of the searing, nauseating pain digging into his side, seeing Chloe’s face hovering over his brought a wash of relief. Her eyes darted back and forth over him as she took in the blood pooling on the floor.

 

“Ohhh. Hang on, okay?” She pulled the gag away from his mouth, and Lucifer gulped in air.

 

“Hanging…” Lucifer managed, offering her a little smile.

 

Chloe’s eyes widened in recognition, and she touched his cheek. “What…? Why…?”

 

“Had to get that offspring of yours clear of the fray before we tried anything else.” Lucifer tried to catch his breath, but the constant pain made it difficult, as did the position on the floor. “She’s safe, now. I promise.”

 

Chloe bobbed her head. Her hands fluttered around as though they didn’t know what to do first, but eventually, they seemed to settle on untying his hands. Before they could finish, however, Naamah shuffled over in that impossibly quick way of hers and pushed Chloe back.

 

“No,” she whispered in her high, raspy voice.

 

“Please, he’s _hurt_ ,” Chloe begged. “He could die, and if he dies—“

 

“I will not allow the Archangel to die.” Naamah turned to Lucifer. Though it was hard enough to tell where Naamah was looking, with her eyes on the outside glassy like those of a doll, and her eyes underneath hollow as they were. She jerked the spear from his side and pressed her hand to the wound.

 

Then she jumped back, her gash of a mouth hanging open. “ _Lu_?”

 

Lucifer eyed her. “Naamah?” He winced and held his side. She stared back at him, unmoving.

 

Chloe crawled back over to him, putting one hand on his back to support him, and leaning into press her own hand to his side. Her eyes questioned him, and Lucifer shrugged.

 

“Meet my little sis. Another one of them. H-hundreds of them.”

 

“I need to get away from you, so you can heal,” Chloe muttered. “How do we do that?”

 

“Dunno.” Lucifer let out a laugh. “Hopefully, they’ll finish up out there quick enough. Ms. Lopez ought to have freed Maze by now. That’ll speed things up.”

 

Chloe pressed her forehead against his. He could hear the hitch in her breathing as her throat thickened in fear.

 

He raised a brow at Naamah, who seemed paralyzed for a moment as her clouded mind worked through something. The gash of her mouth began to purse in a mimicry of the rosy, pretty lips on her hard outer mask.

 

“Raz… _lied_.”

 

 

* * *

 

Remaining on the edges of an all-out fight between hundreds of demons, two angels, and Mazikeen, all spoiling for a fight, proved more difficult than Michael had anticipated. He hated to admit that Amenadiel had been right about anything, let alone this. It seemed all the more galling now for one of his elder brothers to tell him how to handle his condition. And yet, once Amenadiel and Remiel had gotten caught up in taking out demons, Michael pulled back, taking care to stay out of arm’s or other appendage’s length of any of the incensed and confused demons. He had to wait for Duma to return so that he and Ella could get to safety.

 

He’d managed to put his glasses back on before things grew too intense and backed away from most of the action. The warehouse was overrun with Hellions and Graustraug, centipede-like miniature Triskele demons, and multi-headed creatures that were a blend between a skunk and a scorpion. Maze swung Raz around, using him as a weapon to slaughter demon after demon. Things were truly chaotic, and it would be too easy to get overwhelmed in the thick of it.

 

_Oh, Michael…_

 

His blood ran cold as he heard Sandalphon’s voice creeping into his mind. His eyes darted around as he tried to spot exactly where his brother was. This whole thing fell apart if Sandy wasn’t in charge, but Michael couldn’t see him anywhere.

 

_That was a **cute** trick. Twins wearing each other’s clothes… I remember when our father made the two of you. First the twins, then Gabriel, a little trio with far too much power, and lacking half again the sense they needed to use such gifts._

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Michael could see Maze whip Raz behind her, deflating a row of Graustraug with his loose roots, and then swing him back around to catch the remaining ones who came forward to slurp up their dead brethren. A wave of nausea came over Michael.

 

_Raz believes we could use Lucifer just as well as you. What do you think, little brother? How much of Creation is in Destruction? How much Destruction is in you, for example?_

Where _was_ Sandy? Michael swept another gaze around the room. He didn’t know how he’d lost track of Sandalphon so easily. He could escape while everyone was fighting. He _could_ try to make his scheme work with Lucifer. It would fail, but failure hadn’t stopped Sandy when it had come to keeping Michael bound and trapped all those years.

 

Michael pressed his hands together. _Amenadiel, be on the lookout for Sandy. He’s up to something._

 

Amenadiel didn’t respond, but Michael knew he’d been heard, as Amenadiel spared a glance around after taking out two skunkions that had seven heads and twelve tails between them. Michael was about to send the next message to Remiel when tiny hands grabbed him on either side.

 

“Begone, Hellions,” Michael ordered them.

 

The two were joined by others, and he realized with horror that his voice hadn’t carried the command. He’d promised that he would stay out of the fight as much as he could, but if he couldn’t command, and couldn’t fly…

 

Michael wished he still had his sword.

 

He struggled to throw them off, though they were many and they were relentless. None had made efforts to slash or harm him in any way. They seemed to simply be weighing him down, keeping him in place. Then, came the _sound of wings_ , and Michael’s heart nearly stopped.

 

In an instant, the wet heat of Hell was around him and his body was in tatters. Bound and impaled and waiting for his brother’s hand to dig into his guts to force him to bring life to another doomed child.

 

Michael threw his head back and let out a low, resonating bellow, hoping with every part of him that he could still do that much. The vocal burst sent Sandy off course, knocking the airborne angel into a tall stack of boxes. The Hellions scattered around him, and Michael staggered back, shaking with the memory of what the arrival of wings meant.

 

There was no keeping out of this fight.

 

Using short vocal bursts, Michael made his way toward the office. He and Lucifer would get the humans out together.

 

But before he could reach the door, it came flying forward and struck him against the shoulder. He stumbled backward, gulping in air. His head felt light and his limbs start to take on a consistency not unlike jelly.

 

He covered his abdomen protectively and tried to push himself backward.

 

Naamah appeared over him. His heart broke to see her this close, every part of her a testament to millennia of deep pain. Her head tilted to the side as she looked over him, and then she lunged forward, grabbing him along his neck and collarbone with a hand larger than belonged to such a petite frame.

 

“Naamah, no,” he managed. “Please.”

 

“Oh, big brother,” her raspy voice peeped.


	14. The Sharing of the Talents

Amenadiel had been so caught up in the melee that he had lost track of Duma, who had returned after getting Eve and Trixie to safety. Lost track of Maze and Remiel, who were steadily wiping out the population of demons. Lost track of Michael, who Amenadiel had determined must be protected in this battle once Trixie was safe.

 

He turned to see Lucifer leaning heavily on Chloe as they emerged from the office. A figure resembling a cross between a doll and a murder scene loomed over Michael, her hand affixed to his chest as his face scrunched up in pain.

 

“Idiot,” Amenadiel said, uncertain if he was talking about himself or Michael. He stormed forward, letting demons attach themselves as he continued tirelessly through the throng of them. Was that _Naamah_? Their sweet little sister who loved tart fruit and made up little songs to sing to herself?

 

But that little head tilt, the way she clutched Michael’s neck and chest, drawing out Michael’s emotional state. It _had_ to be her.

 

Naamah lifted her head toward the far side of the warehouse. Amenadiel followed her gaze. Sandalphon had unfurled his wings. He was trying to flee the battle. With a roar, Amenadiel flung himself in that direction, letting demons drop from him as his wings sent a gust of wind all around him.

 

When Naamah raised her hand, Amenadiel stopped short before he could get caught in her power. Michael’s head fell back, and an energy, pulsing frenetically, rose from him, moved through Naamah like electricity, and shot straight at Sandalphon. He hit the floor and stayed there, curled over on himself and howling piteously.

 

Amenadiel lifted into the air and dropped down at Sandalphon’s side, and he grabbed his brother by the wings and dragged him back. Sandalphon screeched the entire way.

 

Duma and Remiel were finishing off the last of the demons behind them, but Maze turned to them from her work. Raz, who she had used as a whip and a blunt object alternatively, she dragged along behind her as they came together. Naamah reached out for them.

 

“He’s mine,” Maze said. “He’s a damn traitor.”

 

Naamah ignored her and touched Raz’s face, eliciting another frantic, pulsing energy, which she also redirected to Sandalphon, causing a new wave of moans. The angel thrashed and groaned, and in moments, his wings began to wither and black mold mottled over his skin.

 

“You _hurt_ our brothers,” Naamah said. “You hurt them on _purpose_.”  She knelt where she had been standing and sat back on her knees. “You hurt Michael, over and over and over and over. You need to _feel_ that, Sandalphon. Feel it, and know _Dre’thkarim_.”

 

Amenadiel pulled his hand back from the rotting wings. He couldn’t help but remember what that had felt like, losing them, feeling that shame of having Fallen… but this wasn’t Sandalphon’s shame. He felt none. It wasn’t his pain. He had only caused yet not experienced it.

 

Thanks to their little sister, he was feeling it now. He was feeling _all of it_ at once.

 

Beside them, Raziraphale’s mossy exterior had dropped away to reveal milky skin and shoulder-length chestnut hair and an uneven jawline that Amenadiel remembered smirking far too much. He remained unconscious, and Maze stepped away from him.

 

Duma and Remiel approached, bloodied and tired.

 

“Pity he’s unconscious,” Lucifer muttered through gritted teeth. “That’s not gonna last. You gotta do the work.”

 

Naamah tilted her head toward Lucifer and held her hand up to him, like an offering.

 

“That’s alright, darling. Sandy’ll get enough from those two.”

 

Michael’s head lifted. His fingers clenched over the fabric on his abdomen, and he glanced over at Sandalphon, a sudden coldness emanating from him.

 

Amenadiel reached down to help him up, but Michael moved away, stubbornly rising to his feet on his own.

 

“You should have gotten out of here,” Amenadiel scolded.

 

“Are all the demons gone?” Lucifer asked. “Has anyone checked outside for stragglers?”

 

“I shall,” Remiel declared, then flew off abruptly.

 

“Is this it?” Chloe asked uncertainly, glued to Lucifer’s side. “Where’s Trixie?”

 

Michael blinked slowly as he stepped closer to Sandalphon’s groaning form. “She’s safe. Worried about _you_ , but… she’s not scared or feeling any pain.”

 

Amenadiel didn’t want to ask how Michael still knew that, after draining away the excess Celestial energy from her. Another time. He scanned the area, looking for stray signs of life. Neither Raz nor Naamah were moving. Lucifer had checked Hell before they’d come here, and while Abaddon was injured, the two remaining Dre’thkarim—their poor sick siblings—were dutifully keeping the peace there as best they could.

 

The battle had been quick and brutal. Too fast. Too much could have gone wrong, and yet—

 

A sharp, yelping intake of breath came from Duma then, and the young angel rushed across the warehouse to a large stack of boxes and knelt over a small form.

 

“Oh no,” Lucifer said. He took a stumbling step forward. “Miss Lopez.”

 

“Ella? What’s she doing here?” Chloe asked.

 

“She freed me at the beginning of the battle. Dammit!” Maze snapped. “I didn’t check! I didn’t _think_! The moment she released me, I just—I should have made sure she got out!”

 

“Duma,” Amenadiel asked, going over to investigate. “Is she alive?”

 

“I can heal her.” Michael turned from Sandalphon and hurried over to where they stood.

 

Lucifer and Chloe remained at a distance, likely because it was difficult for Chloe to move him under her own power. Amenadiel would have to see Lucifer to safety soon, so he could heal himself. Otherwise, Michael would do it, and he might be running low on energy after all of this.

 

Duma cradled Ella’s head in his lap. Their one casualty. The small woman’s eyes were only halfway closed. Several long gashes cut across her chest and abdomen. Deep cuts, but from a small hand. A Hellion had taken her out, likely the moment that Maze stepped away.

 

“She’s gone, Michael,” Amenadiel said.

 

“That’s not a deal-breaker,” Michael argued. He knelt by Ella’s side, and Amenadiel put a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Michael, _no_.”

 

He shrugged Amenadiel off. “I can pull her _back_ ,” he insisted.

 

The warehouse was silent apart from Sandalphon’s whimpering. Michael reached a hand forward, and Amenadiel caught it.

 

“You can, but you shouldn’t. We shouldn’t bring people back—“

 

“Maybe _you_ shouldn’t,” Michael snapped.

 

His words stung, even though it was impossible for Michael to have any idea of what had happened when Amenadiel had brought a human back. Michael had been trapped in Hell, at the time. Granted, Ella was of _far_ better quality than the one Amenadiel had brought back.

 

“You are so stubborn!” Amenadiel put his hands on his hips, then glanced to Duma, who had tears streaming down his face. He didn’t know when the boy had grown so attached to Ella, but the woman had a way with Elohim so far. Every one of them had taken to her calm, her words, and benefitted.

 

“She saved us,” Michael muttered. “When I didn’t know if I could… if I _should_ be saved.” He shook his head and reached out again. “She saved _us_.”

 

But before he could touch her, Ella drew in a deep breath and opened her eyes.

 

* * *

 “Oh, man!” Ella said, sitting up and feeling over her chest and stomach.

 

Lucifer thought his eyes might pop out of his head. She’d been stone dead a moment ago. Hadn’t she? Michael hadn’t even miracled her yet!

 

“That little creep clawed my boobs,” Ella complained. She pushed herself up, wincing, and Duma supported her shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay, buddy.”

 

“It is.” Michael leaned forward. “ _How_ is it okay?”

 

“Blame your little sis. I dunno where she is right now. If she’s not here.” Ella looked back and yelled, “Hey, Rae Rae!” She paused and pushed her lips out. “Nope.”

 

Amenadiel let out a disbelieving laugh, and Lucifer turned to Chloe with a huge grin.

 

“What? I mean, _what_?” Chloe said.

 

“You met Rae Rae! Angel of Death?”

 

“I _remember_. What _happened_?”

 

Ella stood and pressed her hand against her stomach. “She decided a long time ago not to take me. Um, you remember how I told you about my ‘imaginary friend’? She’s just an angel, as it turns out.”

 

Michael put his hand over hers. “Let me—“

 

“No way. Save your energy, Daddy.” Ella looked up. “Uh, is _Lucifer_ okay? Sorry, I missed most of this. Are those the bad guys? He’s turning into a clump of… something.”

 

“He’s enjoying one of the key perks of having a conscience, for an angel anyway,” Amenadiel said.

 

Lucifer stifled a laugh because it still hurt. Thanks to Ella, Michael turned his attention back to him, and both he and Maze approached them. She gave a hard look to Lucifer’s side and stepped around to see into the office.

 

“I’ll be fine. It’s just a little poke.” Lucifer smirked. “Nothing I’ve not been through before.”

 

“Right. I remember what a giggle it is to be stabbed in the side,” Michael said dryly.

 

“There is a _lake_ of blood in here,” Maze said accusingly. She smacked Lucifer’s shoulder hard.

 

Michael met Chloe’s eye before she turned Lucifer toward him so he could put his hand over the gash there. Lucifer opened his mouth, but before he could make a noise of protest, the pain had gone.

 

“Good.” Michael nodded.

 

“I would’ve have made it. I’ve weathered worse injuries than that with the Detective by my side,” Lucifer said. He straightened up and peeled off the now ruined cardigan.

 

Chloe frowned at his t-shirt. “Beaver Valley?!”

 

Maze threw her head back and laughed. “Aw, my favorite vacation spot.”

 

Lucifer chuckled and held up a hand for her, and Maze grudgingly gave it a slap.

 

“So what do we do with these guys?” Ella asked. “Do I want to know how you deal with criminal angels?”

 

“Toss ‘em into hell,” Lucifer quipped. “Or wipe them out of existence. But we don’t have that ability anymore.”

 

“Nor should we do that in any case,” Amenadiel warned. He stepped closer to Sandalphon and looked over him critically. His whining had died down, but he was still unresponsive and likely not yet lucid. Maze gave him a hard kick in the side.

 

Michael winced. He stared down at Sandalphon, his lips pressing into a thin line, almost going white. Lucifer wanted to make this go away. But _nothing_ they did to their brother at this point would erase what had been done to Michael.

 

And yet, Lucifer wanted to rip Sandy’s fucking heart out.

 

Lucifer felt Chloe squeezing his hand, and he knew his eyes must’ve gone red. He could finish it now. He could do just as he wanted, wreak vengeance for his twin. Not just for his twin, now. For Abaddon, attacked by her brother. For Raz, who had been led astray by this selfish ass who had only been using him. For Naamah, who Lucifer knew had her heart broken whenever she had to take her siblings’ pain into herself.

 

The last thing his fellow Fallen needed was more guilt and pain weighing on them, whether it be deserved, undeserved, or absorbed from others. Especially when this whole mess wasn’t of _their_ doing.

 

Lucifer had been the one to leave Hell. He’d been the one who had left the door open for his sadist brother to torment his twin, rape him repeatedly, impregnate him with children who died, left him traumatized in a way that, even if Michael seemed better currently, had left him forever altered. Lucifer had been the one to give up on the Dre’thkarim. Allowed them to try to run Hell by themselves. Left the demons unattended for so long that factions uncountable had arisen in Hell.

 

It had been his bloody brilliant idea to set up the pods to therapize the damned. And he’d clearly done it wrong.

 

“C’mon, Lucifer. Come back. We’ll figure out what to do,” Chloe begged. “This isn’t all on you.”

 

His green shirt burst at the seams revealing the charred red flesh beneath.

 

There were many eyes on him. Sympathetic, worried, and… angry. Sandalphon was looking up now, eyes tormented and terrified and infuriated. The mold had enveloped him and cut up through his flesh through black bark. Naamah was looking at Lucifer, tilting her head to the side, raising a hand up as though she still wanted to take his pain. Raz was groggily waking, lifting his head. His eyes seemed vague and confused. He blinked several times and caught sight of his own hands. Perfect and clear of the twisted vegetation.

 

But the moment he realized what he was looking at, Raz’s skin began to turn again, and he let out an anguished cry.

 

“You can pull it back, Raziraphale,” Lucifer growled. “You have seen me do it! You _all_ can.”

 

“I don’t know _how_ ,” Raz moaned as his lips began to twist again. “I don’t want to be a monster anymore!”

 

Chloe let out a shaky breath and squeezed Lucifer’s bare arm.

 

There was a chance Lucifer would never be able to again take his Devil Face off if he killed another brother. Could he save the others, if he kept fighting for himself?

 

The heat drained away as the red faded and left his arms and chest and face smooth once more. Raz looked up at him with astonishment.

 

“How?” he begged.

 

“You can learn. I’ve been trying to help you, but it took me _years_ , and I didn’t do it alone.” Lucifer looked to Chloe and deepened the corners of his mouth. With a sigh, he also cast a look at Amenadiel. “Not alone by a longshot.”

 

Raz hung his head as his body twisted and greened around him. Naamah set a hand on his knee.

 

“Don’t take anymore of mine, Naamah darling,” Raz muttered, pushing her hand away.

 

“So touching,” Sandy slurred. He was still lying in a heap of himself, shaking a little from the residual effects of feeling all of that pain.

 

But his skin was beginning to clear. Bastard.

 

“You could’ve _helped_ them, you selfish, arrogant ass,” Lucifer said. “You could have reached out to them, made their lives more bearable. All these years, and you’ve what? Been plotting all along for your own glory?”

 

“Why would I bother with them? If they were stronger, they would still be themselves.” Sandalphon glanced at Raz and Naamah dismissively.

 

“I can make him feel Michael again,” Naamah said with a bit of a sing-song to her voice. “And Abaddon, and Belial, and Corinthial, and Amenadiel—“

 

“He’s not Fallen,” Sandalphon sneered.

 

“No, but I did Fall, before,” Amenadiel admitted.

 

“He feels responsible,” Naamah said. “You should feel responsible, Sandy.”

 

“I’m not interested in changing his feelings by force.” Michael stepped between Sandalphon and them. “There is responsibility, and there is accountability. You won’t hurt our siblings anymore by making _them_ punish you.”

 

“You shouldn’t have to either,” Amenadiel said gently.

 

“Ah, why not? Enact your vengeance, Archangel. Take my life. You know you’ve wanted to,” Sandalphon teased. He was looking better and stronger by the second.

 

Soon, he’d have his wings back.

 

Light rose and began to emanate from all around Michael like an aura. It grew, and grew, until Lucifer had to pull Chloe back for fear of what it would do to her.

 

“Michael!” Amenadiel said.

 

“I’m not about _taking_ life, Sandy.” Michael’s voice grew deeper in resonance. It made the air around them vibrate with Michael’s rage. “I thought you’d know that. You spent so much time trying to _increase_ my talents.”

 

The building began to tremble around them. Michael pulled Sandy to his feet with one hand, then plunged the other deep into Sandalphon’s chest. Ella gasped, and Duma took hold of her arm as Amenadiel shot Lucifer an alarmed look.

 

Sandalphon let out gurgling noises as Michael’s light spread into him, illuminating his pale skin, causing little ripples under the surface.

 

“But there is _nothing_ in you, oh Angel of Prayers. No mercy, and worst of all, no _love_. They say that the Parable of the Talents may indeed be a metaphor for love, as that is the _greatest gift_ in Creation. Or it may be a warning not to try to reap the fruit that does not come of your _own labors_!”

 

Lucifer guided Chloe back and nodded to Duma to do the same. Maze stepped between them and Michael’s rising power as he delivered his sermon.

 

“Don’t,” Lucifer warned Amenadiel, who seemed torn about whether to step in or not.

 

“Regardless, you shouldn’t want for talents, Sandy. You do have one of your own. One you’ve barely put to use. They say you can’t really listen, if you’re always talking.”

 

Sandalphon gagged and coughed.

 

“Allow me to both show you mercy and share my talent with you, _dear brother_.”

 

Flowers erupted from Sandalphon’s mouth and roots burst from his feet.

 

“Having life inside you really is a singular experience, isn’t it?”

 

The verdant foliage sprouted from every inch of Sandalphon’s flesh. Breathtaking flowers boasting every color of the sunset. His blood fed the roots, and the growth overtook him bit by bit until his entire form was engulfed in the scintillating vegetation.

 

“How does it feel?” Michael asked, his eyes tender and concerned. “Are you enjoying my _talent_? Are you _glad_ that I shared?”

 

Ella gaped, blinking hard every few seconds. Duma and Remiel watched in stern, silent judgment. Maze looked on with a wickedly pleased grin. It was as good as anything they’d come up with in Hell.

 

“It’s enough, My,” Lucifer said softly.

 

Michael took a step back, swayed, and said, “If you ever again try anything like this, if you ever try to mislead or harm your siblings, if you ever treat the lives of mortals as playthings, you will realize how truly merciful I have been.”

 

A soft gust of wings came from behind them, and Azrael stepped up and caught Michael’s arm as it seemed he might fall.

 

_Sister, please!_ Sandalphon’s voice shot into Lucifer’s head, and he knew they all heard him.

 

“Sorry for being so damn late,” Azrael said. “They’re _shook_ up in the Silver City. There’s a reason I never head up there, if I can help it. Geez. The _drama_.”

 

Azrael rubbed Michael’s back and glanced back to give Ella a smile. Lucifer raised a brow at her. She definitely could have popped up sooner, probably, but it wasn’t her way.

 

_Sister, release me. Take me from the Archangel. You know he cannot be responsible for punishment like this! That is Lucifer’s domain!_

 

“I don’t think Lu would let you off any easier. But, even if this were his responsibility, it would contradict a power older than us.” She faced Sandalphon and her sweet, round face went stone cold. “I talked to my boss… She agreed that none of us would take you. None will lead you to the Sunless Lands. Not until you feel guilt for what you’ve done.”

 

Tendrils worked their way out of Sandalphon’s eyes and the flowers and vines spread and grew. The tree underneath steadied the rest of the garden as it spread throughout the warehouse, so many flowers of varying shades and shapes. Within moments, the tree broke through the ceiling and the vines had overtaken the nearby wall, infiltrated the office, and soaked up Lucifer’s blood. It looked as though the greenery had been overtaking the warehouse for decades.

 

As tempting as it was to keep staring at a truly spectacular and ironic punishment, Michael was wilting. The Dre’thkarim needed to return home. Chloe would want to see her offspring.

 

“Come along everyone,” Lucifer encouraged. “Time to move on.”


	15. Hangry, Hormonal Angels

With Naamah and Raz in their siblings’ care, and Raz willingly submitting to stay in one of the therapy pods under Belial’s observation, Lucifer took the remainder of his siblings, former coworkers, and Maze back to his house in the Hills to get everyone cleaned up. Chloe attached herself to her offspring, after thanking Eve profusely for keeping an eye on Trixie while the others threw down with angels and demons.

Lucifer himself took hold of Michael’s shoulders and guided him toward the bedroom. He didn’t have the power of command, but Michael was so utterly exhausted after healing and vocalizing and punishing that he didn’t fight Lucifer. He probably couldn’t. After finally finishing things with Sandy and saving the hostages, something had drained out of him. No doubt it hadn’t helped in the slightest to relive what he’d felt down in the pit as Naamah had accessed his trauma to share with Sandy. Michael seemed checked out, distant, and had jumped when Amenadiel came close.

 

Lucifer closed the door and went to his closet. He stripped out of the remains of his clothes. There was a proper suit in there, and he put on a shirt and trousers before looking back to Michael, who was still standing in the middle of the room, staring pensively.

 

This wasn’t fair. It was over. It should be over for him, too.

 

But you had to do the work. And Michael had quite the road in front of him.

 

“Y’did the right thing,” Lucifer said. He walked over and began unbuttoning Michael’s shirt. Michael stiffened and touched Lucifer’s hand. “We couldn’t have him in Hell. Too dangerous. And if one of us had killed him… The guilt of killing a sibling is nothing to consider lightly. I’ve felt it. I very nearly took myself out directly after.”

 

“Sammy.” Michael squeezed his fingers.

 

“Do you regret it?”

 

“No.” Michael shook his head slowly. “I should, though, shouldn’t I? Tell me. You’re the expert on punishment.”  
  


“As the expert…” Lucifer smirked. “Wish I’d thought of that.”

 

Michael raised a brow.

 

“Lectured you a bit, did he? Spent a lot of time monologuing about the righteousness of his actions and how his way was best?”

 

“If I’m going to be lectured about scripture, I’d honestly rather Amenadiel do it.” Michael opened his shirt and sighed. “His voice is less grating.”

 

Lucifer chuckled.

 

“Don’t tell him I said so. I’m really not up for a lecture from him, either.”

 

“I’m sure he’ll offer you one, once you’ve rested. And been fed. I don’t think I’ve seen you eat since we’ve been on Earth.”

 

Michael furrowed his brow as he slipped the shirt off. “Um… Oh. Ella gave me something to eat. At her apartment.”

 

“Well. That’s… Well, too long ago, but it’s something.”

 

“It was yogurt and juice.”

 

“Please don’t make me have to be the responsible one. I’m _really_ not good at it.” Lucifer fished a large, long-sleeved shirt out of the back of his closet that had belonged to a tarty, towering fellow named Bernard and then grabbed a pair of cream colored French terry sweatpants.

 

“That’s simply untrue.” Michael ruffled his hair, standing naked in the middle of the room. “Mr. King of Hell. Mr. Group Therapy. Mr. Sacrificial Lamb.”

 

“Get dressed.” Lucifer tossed the clothes at Michael. “Don’t make me knock around someone knocked up.”

 

Lucifer headed out to the den. The others had collected there, but it appeared that Duma and Remiel had gone for a flight somewhere, possibly to scout for stray demons, or do whatever the two of them got up to when they didn’t have any orders. Ella had, for certain, gone off to have a talk with Rae Rae if the latter hadn’t scarpered already.

 

He gave a wave to the others as he headed into the kitchen. “Linda, could I get your expertise over here?”

 

She followed him, struggling to keep up. He opened the fridge and scowled at the meager amount of food in there.

 

“Does Postmates deliver up to the Hills?”

 

“Feeling peckish?” Linda crossed her arms. “I guess it was an intense day. We could all use some comfort food.”

 

“I am, as a matter of fact, but Michael hasn’t eaten since before you met him, and he’s about to collapse.”

 

“Oh my God.” Linda came up to him.

 

“It ought to have occurred to me, but we’re so well-refreshed in Heaven that he probably didn’t notice feeling off again for several hours afterward. That, along with the time difference… basically equivalent of forgetting to eat until dinner.”

 

“I suppose that’s better, but he’s going to have to remember to _eat_.” Linda frowned. “Okay. Well, we have milk. An avocado that has seen better days. A banana. Looks like I’m makin’ a smoothie.” She clapped her hands together.

 

“Maybe we can send one of the kids out for food. Everyone must be hungry by now. Especially the offspring.”

 

Linda checked the freezer and pulled out some spinach to add to the ingredients she had piled into the blender. She let it run for a minute. “Good idea. But I’m sending Amenadiel because he actually knows how money works.

 

“Ah. Right.”

 

After stopping the blender, Linda poured the concoction into a large glass. “There. See if he can get that down. God, he must be starving.”  
  


“He probably doesn’t even recognize the feeling anymore.” Lucifer fussed with the cuffs of his shirt. “After being in Hell.”

 

Linda’s lips pressed together, and she frowned at him slightly. “Okay. Talk to me.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“You’re worried. About more than dinner.”

 

Lucifer shrugged. “I’m going to be heading back to work soon. I won’t be here to look after these little details like food or him not getting tricked into wearing naughty novelty shirts.”

 

“I know you worry about your brother.” Linda smiled warmly. “Which makes it all the more puzzling that you never mentioned him.”

 

“Ah… Well, you know, I…”

 

“I’m not your therapist anymore. You don’t have to tell me why that is. But.” Linda leaned back on the counter. “You do have me, and Amenadiel, and Ella, and Chloe here to keep an eye on Michael. There’s no reason we couldn’t bring him back to our house once the wall is fixed.”

 

“There’s a very good reason, and that’s the fact that Amenadiel and Michael don’t get on at the best of times, let alone when Amenadiel’s recently got tossed through a wall and Michael’s overflowing with pregnancy hormones.”

  
“Why is that? Besides the hormones. It isn’t as though they were on opposing sides, so to speak, the way you and Amenadiel were.”

 

“I honestly don’t know. The two of them have been at odds practically since the beginning of time.”

 

“It may be just a personality conflict, then?” Linda suggested.

 

“Michael can stubborn, I suppose—“

 

“As can Amenadiel.” Linda thought for a moment. “Maybe, like you and Amenadiel, they simply need time to reconnect as their adult selves, and reestablish a dynamic that works better for them. I’ll see if I can’t help.”

 

Lucifer shook his head. “You can let me know next time I’m up how the family therapy is going. Though, for everyone’s communal sanity, the two of them really shouldn’t be under the same roof while that baby’s cooking.”

 

“Mmm.” Linda nodded. “Probably wise.”

 

Lucifer reached for the smoothie, but he jumped when Chloe called his name in a panic. He darted back to the den, where Chloe was holding Trixie to her chest. The child’s eyes were burning with Celestial energy again, and she trembled.

 

“Her eyes—Lucifer!” Chloe cradled the back of Trixie’s head. “What do I _do_?”

 

“I dunno. Sunglasses?”

 

Trixie wriggled away from Chloe and stood in the middle of the room, holding her head.

 

Chloe covered her mouth. “We’ll figure it out, baby, I promise.”

 

Michael came in from the hallway, rubbing his eyes. His glasses were propped up on his head, and he squinted as he reached out a hand.

 

“C’mere, sweetheart. Don’t be scared.”

 

Chloe watched with wet eyes as Trixie came to Michael. Lucifer could tell how terrified Chloe was. He recognized that look. Chloe was clearly more than a bit scared of the Archangel after what she had seen that day. But Trixie approached Michael without fear, and he put a hand on her chest and one on her cheek, and she sighed in relief as the power seemed to subside.

 

“Thanks, Michael,” Trixie said. “That feels so weird.”

 

“It does. But like anything in this life, I’m sure you can get used to it. And if you ever need help, just call me, okay? You don’t even have to do the prayer bit.”

 

“Prayer?” Trixie quirked a brow.

 

Michael put his hands together. “You can reach any of my siblings and me on Earth or in Heaven, if you do this and think about us. It’s like an angel cellphone.”

 

“I could do that with Lucifer?” Trixie gave him a mischievous look.

 

“Please don’t,” Lucifer added, holding up a finger.

 

“You could get us ice cream.”

 

“Right, then. I guess _I’m_ your Postmates driver.” Lucifer sat next to Chloe on the sofa. “But only when I’m on Earth.”

 

“But not in Hell? That sucks.” Trixie huffed.

 

“Language, Monkey,” Chloe chided.

 

Linda came in holding the glass of smoothie and came over to Michael. “If we’ve finished this _latest_ crisis—“ She put it in his hand, and he stared at it in confusion. “We have a bigger problem. Dinner.” She pointed over to the seating area. “You sit and drink that. Doctor’s orders.”

 

“You’re not that kind of doctor.” Michael put his glasses back on his nose and settled into an armchair with legs folded under him.

 

“Finally!” Linda beamed and clapped her hands together. “One of you gets that.”

 

Amenadiel put an arm around her shoulder. “Linda is working on her qualification for sainthood.”

 

“This smells exceedingly strange,” Michael said.

 

“And Michael’s helping her get extra points,” Amenadiel said flatly.

 

“Can we have pizza?” Trixie asked.

 

“It’s just juice, avocado, banana, spinach, and yogurt,” Linda said. “It shouldn’t be too hard on your stomach. We just thought it would be better to, you know, eat something every day. Most humans eat up to five times a day when they’re pregnant.”

 

Michael blinked four times in a row. “Five?”

 

“No, that tracks,” Chloe agreed. “I had to keep snacks with me all the time to keep my blood sugar steady.”

 

“Me too,” Eve said. “When I could. I decimated our dried meat supply.” She groaned. “And I had morning sickness pretty much up until the whale stage with Cain.”

 

Michael’s brows screwed together. “I’m sorry? Whale? The aquatic mammal?”

 

Amenadiel let out a deep throaty chuckle. That set off a wicked laugh from Maze _at_ Amenadiel. Lucifer glared at his brother, but Amenadiel wasn’t looking. Michael was, however, and he was staring at Amenadiel in both confusion and irritation.

 

Linda pinched Amenadiel’s arm.

 

“Hey. What was that for?”

 

“Why don’t you get us all pizza?” Linda suggested in a way that wasn’t a suggestion.

 

Michael set the glass on the table next to him and rose, pushing his glasses back on his nose. “I’ll pass on the party, thanks. But you guys enjoy. You deserve it.”

 

“Linda _just_ told you to drink that,” Amenadiel said firmly.

 

“I am _tired_ ,” Michael replied through gritted teeth, his eyes glowing slightly.

 

“Well, I can’t _imagine_ why you would be,” Amenadiel said sarcastically, “when you joined the fight like we told you not to, healed people like we told you not to, and created a whole garden of torment, when no one asked you to!”

 

A muscle in Michael’s jaw started to jump as he clenched down hard. “Did _you_ want to be the one to put Sandalphon down? Someone had to be accountable.”

 

“And of course, that someone always has to be _you_.”

 

“Okay, it’s been a hard day for everyone—“ Chloe said.

 

“You’ve _always_ been like this,” Amenadiel said, “Stubborn, self-important—“

 

“So says the self-appointed eternal brother’s keeper,” Michael said coolly. “You must be so _terribly_ busy minding our business that you couldn’t possibly find a purpose for yourself.”

 

“Fine!” Amenadiel pointed at Michael. “Do what you want like you always do. But you got lucky today that your baby wasn’t ki—“

 

Lucifer hopped up and stepped between them. “Enough!” He looked to Linda. “Told you! Did I not tell you?”

 

“They’re no worse than you two were when I first met you,” Linda said. She met Amenadiel’s eye and pointed to the door. “Pizza. Go.”

 

Amenadiel gestured in front of him. “But—“

 

“If you two get any louder, you’re going to wake Charlie. Go! Feed the starving children.”

 

“Pizza! Pizza!” Maze chanted. After a moment, Trixie joined her, and with a laugh, Chloe did the same.

 

Finally, Amenadiel laughed. “Okay!”

 

Linda pulled a wallet out of her purse and handed it to him.

 

“How did you know to bring my ID?” Amenadiel asked.

 

“You’ve all been running ragged looking for demons and angels. No one else has enough bandwidth to take care of these mundane details too.”

 

They shared a kiss, and Amenadiel unfurled his wings and flew off. Lucifer had been about to breathe a sigh of relief, until he saw Michael visibly tense at the sound of Amenadiel’s wings. Bollocks.

 

He didn’t know what to do to make this better, but Trixie apparently did. She picked up the smoothie and went up to Michael.

 

“Okay, you drink some of this before he gets back,” she ordered. “You take care of me, and I take care of you.”

 

She grabbed his hand and started back toward the bedroom. Michael’s lips slipped into a lopsided smile, and he shrugged as he looked back at them.

 

Lucifer landed back on the sofa and covered his eyes.

 

“Okay, I see what you mean now,” Linda said.

 

“Everyone’s just tired and hangry,” Eve said.

 

“And it’s magnified ten times when you’re pregnant,” Chloe added. “Though, who knows what Amenadiel’s problem is.”

 

“Oh, he’s just butthurt because the fight didn’t go down how he wanted it.” Maze took the chair where Michael had been sitting and threw her leg over the arm.

 

“I think he’s just worried,” Eve said quietly.

 

“Indeed. Clearly the only one who’s been worried.” Lucifer rolled his eyes.

 

Chloe carded her fingers through Lucifer’s hair, and he turned his face toward hers. She smiled slightly and murmured, “Yep, no one else got worried today.”

 

Lucifer closed his eyes, sighing as he enjoyed the feeling of Chloe fiddling with his hair. She’d never done that before. And it would probably be a long time before he got to experience it again. He didn’t know how long he could justify staying here any longer. By all rights, well… Michael and his little bundle were safe. Sandalphon was punished. The Dre’thkarim were taking care of one another for now, and the vast bulk of the traitor demons had been killed.

 

All his Devil’s business was done. It was time to return. He just wished that he could stay. As much as he ever had on his balcony when he and Chloe had exchanged their first vows of love. Maybe even more.

 

Lucifer took her hand and leaned into her caresses.

 

* * *

 

 

“Get in bed,” Trixie ordered.

 

“As you wish.”

 

Michael sat on the enormous bed. It was huge and fluffy and had a billion pillows. Of course, it was amazing. It was _Lucifer’s_. This place was even crazier than his penthouse, but it didn’t have princess steps anywhere.

 

Trixie set the smoothie on the nightstand as she supervised Michael. As he inched back onto the bed, he looked kinda unfocused around the eyes. Trixie figured he was just really tired. They’d _all_ come back from that fight pretty wiped. Plus, whatever Michael was doing to help her not overflow with energy again. Plus, the baby.

 

Trixie was just grateful that everyone had come back.

 

Michael leaned back against the pillows, draping an arm over his stomach and rubbing his forehead. Probably a headache. Her mom got headaches sometimes, when she forgot to eat. Trixie bet that’s what it was. She came up and pulled the covers over his legs. Michael quirked his lips to the side as she handed him the smoothie.

 

“It looks like mud, but here.”

 

“Greenish mud.” Michael looked at the glass skeptically once more before trying a sip. “Huh.”

 

Trixie climbed onto the bed and crawled up next to him. “What’s it taste like?”

 

“I couldn’t describe it. I’m not that familiar with human food. It’s a little sweet and… slimy.”

 

He offered it to her, and Trixie took a sniff and the tiniest of sips, and she puckered her lips. It tasted kinda like banana but had the consistency of snot with grass clippings in it.

 

“That’s weird.”

 

“Right?” Michael took another, longer drink and licked his lips. With a deep breath, he knocked the rest back, swallowed hard as he closed his eyes, and put the glass on the nightstand.

 

“Good job.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

He pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, frowning, and for a second, Trixie was afraid he might puke everywhere. But he didn’t, and after a moment he looked okay.

 

“You don’t have to keep watching me,” Michael said.

 

Trixie shrugged. “I can stay until you fall asleep. I know it’s gonna take me forever to sleep tonight.”

 

“Big day,” he agreed. “But you don’t have to be scared of Sandy anymore.”

 

Trixie bit her lip. “I’m sorry your brothers treated you that way. But now everything’s okay, and you and your daughter are safe.”

 

Michael’s eyes widened just a bit, and he nodded slowly.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing’s wrong, I just…” His thumb rubbed over the front of his shirt. “I’ve just been trying to keep her _alive_. I haven’t really had the space to think about her as my… daughter. That I’ll be her…”

 

He faltered, and before Trixie thought about it, she finished, “Her dad?”  
  


His brows drew together, and she felt a little bad since he looked a bit freaked out, but she shrugged.

 

“You shouldn’t worry. You’ve got the protective stuff down. That’s what my dad is best at.” Trixie thought about it. “There’s lots of parts he screws up. But he tries hard.”

 

“What does he screw up?”

 

“Sometimes he forgets to pick me up from somewhere, or he misses family stuff. Or he fights with Mom about me. It’s hard because we don’t live together anymore, so I think he lets me get away with more stuff than Mom does. And maybe he shouldn’t, but um, it’s hard not to take advantage of it.” Trixie glanced at Michael’s stomach. He didn’t have anyone to pick up the slack when he got overwhelmed or tired. Was there even a mom somewhere? “You could come stay with us for a while.”

 

Michael’s frown disappeared and was replaced with curious surprise. “You want me to live with you?”

 

“Babies can be a lot of work. And what if that thing with the energy happens again?”

 

“Oh. That’s my fault, I think. What happened with you would only happen if a mir—“ His expression grew guarded for a moment, and Trixie realized he was about to hide something from her. “If someone takes in part of my essence. You must have come in contact with my blood or something grown from it.”

 

“Like those weird flowers in Lucifer’s bathroom?”

 

“Probably.” Michael smiled at her gently. “I am very sorry, but you’re likely going to be stuck with that. I can help you learn to keep it under control.”

 

“Wait. I get powers? That’s _cool_.”

 

“It’s only happened once before, so I can’t say for sure what will happen. It didn’t work out so well for…” His brows knit together as he trailed off. “But if you keep it secret, you’ll be alright. Healing should be the easiest to learn. It’s much simpler to completely _want_ to heal someone than to do anything else to them.”

 

Trixie raised a brow. “You’re _tons_ different from Lucifer.”

 

“I think he’d be the first to tell you, he’s more handsome.”

 

Trixie grinned. “No. Because you hide things and he _never_ bothers. He says everything straight out all the time, even if he’s talking about angel stuff.”

 

“Oh.” Michael tilted his head to the side. “What I said was almost entirely true.”

 

Trixie crossed her arms.

 

“I’ll tell you the rest later. Promise.”

 

Trixie raised a brow, not sure if she believed him. But she settled in a little bit and rested her head on his shoulder. Michael’s arm curled around her and rubbed her shoulders.

 

“I can make sure you don’t have bad dreams tonight, if you like.”

 

“No way. Really? How?”

 

His fingers ghosted through her hair, and Trixie felt a tingling over her scalp, then down the rest of her body. She shuddered, and a feeling of relaxation washed over her. For the first time, in a _long_ time, she felt… really safe.

 

“Should you be doing that? Amenadiel got mad at you for using your powers a lot.”

 

“Maybe I shouldn’t, but I’m supposed to be winding down anyway. I’m no longer injured, so I should recoup.”

 

“How pregnant are you?” Trixie sat up and stared for a moment.

 

“A few months?”

 

“Can I see?”

 

Michael hesitated for a moment, but then complied, lifting his shirt to reveal… Not much. Trixie could see the bump, but it was just a little bit of a bump, not very big at all.

 

“Ohhh, you have a long way to go.” She reached over to touch his tummy.  “You’ll get way bigger.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“That’s what they meant by the whale stage, before.” Trixie held her hands out in front of her. “Big.”

 

“Oh. Then why did Amenadiel laugh?”

 

“Because it’s funny when someone super skinny has a big pregnant belly.”

 

“But that’s what’s supposed to happen, isn’t it? That’s the goal. She made it, and now she’ll get bigger and get to be born?”

 

He looked so concerned. Trixie had to hold back a laugh of her own. She didn’t want him to get upset again.

 

“Yeah. That’s the goal. It’s good.”

 

“Alright. I’m still not sure why that’s funny, but okay.” He pulled his shirt back down.

 

“You’re not mad?”

 

He sighed and looked up. “It is very easy to be angry with Amenadiel regardless of what’s happening, but I doubt he meant anything by that in particular.” He paused and adjusted his glasses. “I’m… less than pleased by his continued implications that I’m failing my child already.”

 

Trixie blinked. She hadn’t caught _that_ in their argument, but when grown-ups argued, there was usually something underneath it. And her mom and dad had plenty of arguments that sounded like they were about dinner or bedtimes or a missed call, but they were really about her or something Dad had done that they didn’t want to talk about in front of Trixie.

 

“Even worse, it’s possible that he’s right,” Michael muttered. “I have _no idea_ what I’m doing. No Elohim has ever had a child before… Apart from Charlie, and that was apparently mostly on Linda.” He paused and let out a shaky breath. “I’ve never even been able to keep one alive for this long before.”

 

Trixie took the hand Michael had placed back over his stomach. “It’s okay that you don’t know what you’re doing. Humans have babies all the time. Mom had me, and Ms. Linda had Charlie, and Eve said she had a bunch of kids a long time ago. They’ll help. And they won’t laugh. Well, they might, but only probably when they think about what it was like for them.”

 

“That’s very helpful. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

 

He didn’t seem any less stressed. It seemed like he just said that to make _her_ feel better. Lucifer definitely wouldn’t have said something untrue just to make her feel better. Trixie rested her head against him again, and after a few moments, she could feel his breathing slowing. His head lightly touched hers. She hoped he was getting sleepy now.

 

She wondered if she could keep _him_ from having bad dreams. She reached up and brushed her fingertips over his hair, which was creeping back into messy curls.

 

There was a bit of a chuckle in his voice as he said, “Nice try. We can work on it, though.”

 

“Boo. Well, we have all the angels, and Maze and my mom. You’re both really safe here.”

 

Michael said nothing for a moment, then patted her knee. “Thank you, sweetheart.”


	16. Stay Tonight

“Lu sure has a swank pad here.” Azrael strolled alongside Ella on the expansive grounds.

 

Ella glanced over at her friend. Her childhood friend, the Angel of Death. Who had just gotten orders from her boss to let an angel rapist _be a garden_ until he felt bad about what he’d done. Azrael had changed, somehow, between the warehouse and here into a large sweater with a cat face stitched into it and manifested her glasses.

 

“Pretty sure all his pads are swank,” Ella said. “I like the penthouse, but it’s so dark.”

 

“Yeah, I saw. The colors are really warm, though. I bet it’s a reaction to all the stark white up in the Silver City.”

 

Ella bit her lip. “Right. The city part of Heaven. Michael mentioned that.”

 

“It’s like the capitol. Not that we have a government. Or _anything_ , actually, now that Michael isn’t there. Gabe was flipping his shit for all the reasons.” Azrael shook her head. “He was always a little too attached to Michael and jealous of Lucifer. If he ever figures out that Michael’s pregnant, I bet Gabe’s head explodes.”

 

“…The _Archangel_ Gabriel?”

 

“Yup. He’s sort of the Pattern Maker, but Dad put the Pattern into place ages ago, so Gabe hasn’t had much of a purpose other than to keep things running smoothly upstairs, y’know. But even then, he took his lead from Michael, so he’s pretty lost.” Azrael sighed and climbed up into the crook of a tree whose trunk was splitting to two sides. “You’d think they would have realized Michael needed help, sooner. Or like, _looked_ for him. Our fam is so broken.”

                                                                                                                          

“It’s not your fault.”

 

“No, but… There are a lot of people who could have done something. _Not_ just angels. I mean, I guess you’d call them people. But _we_ didn’t do anything. We haven’t _been_ doing anything but being maintenance workers for the universe for the longest time.”

 

“Dude. You take people to the afterlife.” Ella rolled her eyes and leaned back against the tree. “That’s not exactly plunging toilets.”

 

“Nah. Lu got the _real_ shit job.” Azrael shrugged and rubbed her thumb over her sneaker. “I’m gonna go see him more. It’s hard to make time, but I’m gonna try. For you, too. If you want.”

 

“Of _course_ , I want! I _missed_ you. I just… I felt like I was a crazy person because I didn’t know what was going on.” Ella shook her head. “Everyone else thought I was a crazy person, too.”

 

“Sorry about that.”

 

Ella looked up at the sky. Stars were just beginning to peek out. You could see a few out here, where the lights of the city didn’t overwhelm everything. Probably why Lucifer liked the view up here so much.

 

Ella felt as if she’d been set adrift. Staring into the universe where she was no more than a speck of dust floating around with others, all of the moving at random. If she’d had a choice, Ella would have never known these things. God, the Devil, the Devil’s Twin and his baby. Celestial gifts and punishments. Divine Creator as the ultimate deadbeat dad.

 

“It’s all so… big. There’s so much…” Ella murmured.

 

Azrael’s hand squeezed her shoulder. “And it goes on forever and ever, until it doesn’t. When the last living thing in the universe dies, and the rest of us pack up and head out. But that’s a long time from now and until then, we’re on our own. We have to figure out how to live and how to die.”  
  


“Heh. Figured _that_ one out. Dying is pretty easy. But it _sucks_.” Ella put her hand over the bandages Eve and Linda had wrapped over her when they’d gotten to the house.

 

“You didn’t really die.”

 

“Right, right. Immortal. _Ineffable_.” Ella let out an unsteady laugh.

 

Azrael’s lips dropped as she watched Ella. “Don’t crack up on me.”

 

“I make _no_ promises.”

 

Azrael hung her arms over Ella’s shoulders, hugging her. “You’re my favorite human.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“You can call on me. If you need me. I can’t always come right away, but I’ll come when I can.”

 

“Will I be the only one who can see you?” Ella pursed her lips as she glanced back.

 

“What, a bunch of humans get to see the Angel of Death out having tacos?”

 

“It’s _L.A_. Lucifer lived here for years without that many people even _noticing_.” Ella clicked her tongue. “And you so owe me a taco, at _least_ , for all the _lying_.”

 

Azrael laughed into Ella’s shoulder.

 

“I’m not even kidding, Little Miss Angel of Death. I know just the truck.”

 

“Could be fun. I never get out. But I’m gonna have to get back to work soon… We _all_ are.”

 

Ella hated how trapped they all were. “If you took a vacation, would people just stop dying?”

 

“No. They’d just have a harder time getting where they’re supposed to go.”

 

“Who decides?”

 

“Except the ones who’ve done things that _literally_ weigh down their souls? _They_ do, mostly.”

 

“Huh.”

 

“Kick in the pants, isn’t it? You’d think someone was keeping score.”

 

“So no one gets _sent_ to Hell?” Ella sighed and leaned her head against Azrael’s. “That’s gonna bum out a _lotta_ Catholics and Southern Baptists.”

 

“Angels aren’t that good at paperwork.”

 

Ella glanced up at the sound of approaching wings. She spotted Duma as he circled around in the sky before dropping down.

 

“Hey, Doomy,” Azrael said.

 

“How’s L.A.? Demon free?” Ella asked.

 

Duma came up to them and nodded. Azrael sat up and patted the rise of the tree above her. Fluttering his wings a bit, he lifted up to settle a few feet above Azrael.

 

“The huntress still out?” Azrael asked.

 

Duma nodded.

 

Then, to Ella’s surprise, a soft, hoarse voice came from his lips, “We finished a while ago.”

 

“You been circling around?” Azrael leaned back until her head touched the bark. “I don’t know how you deal with her all of the time.”

 

Duma shrugged.

 

Ella’s heart started to pound. She bit back her first thoughts, which were of course to wonder that Duma was talking, and after that, she didn’t know what to say. She must have been staring too obviously, because Duma looked to her and gave her a sheepish smile.

 

“Michael’s a sweetie, but he’s not like Lu,” Azrael said after a moment. “Michael _fibs_. Everyone knows that. But if he says that Dad wants someone to ‘meditate’ on divinity, no one is gonna say boo.”

 

Ella shut her mouth and nodded slowly.

 

“It was easier.” Duma swallowed, then drew in a breath as if trying to find the words. His eyes flitted away as he spoke. “Easier, when no one expected me to talk about what happened. Even now… I mean, I can’t… always. You’re very easy to talk to, Ella.”

 

“Guess so,” Ella muttered. “Does anyone else know? Besides Rae Rae and Michael?”

 

Duma shook his head. He looked down to Azrael. “I was hoping you hadn’t left yet.”

 

Azrael reached back and pinched his cheek. “What’s on your mind, Doom?

 

Ella sat cross-legged at the base of the tree and looked up at the two angel siblings as they talked. Duma struggled with his words, even with what he managed to get out. Every so often, he looked to Ella, listened to her as she joined in a conversation so far above her paygrade that it was absolutely _laughable_.

 

But if that put him at ease enough to be able to say what he needed to, Ella was willing to play that role. Funny. Her family thought she was a schizophrenic. Angel Whisperer was a lot easier to live with.

 

***

 

Maze elected not to watch the sap-fest between Lucifer and Decker while waiting for the pizza to arrive. She headed outside to the pool. Any dwelling for the Devil, on the topside anyway, required a few pianos, a few fully stocked bars, and either a pool or a hot tub.

 

This place had both. The sun was fading, and the air cooling. Maze wanted the stars above her as she enjoyed the water. Pretty soon, all she’d have were the starless skies of Hell.

 

Maze stripped off her boots and her jacket standing over the pool. It was right at the edge of the property. No railing. The confidence of the immortal. And the winged. It wasn’t as though Lucifer hadn’t suffered worse falls in his long, long lifetime.

 

“Hey, Maze.”

 

Eve’s voice came from behind. Soft, tentative. It made Maze angry. It made her want to turn around and grab Eve by the shoulders. Seeing Raz almost take Eve out had been too much for her, and Maze hated that feeling. Shaky and worried and worst of all, completely _helpless_ with that damned spelled paper stuck to her forehead.

 

“You tired of watching the lovebirds cuddle, too, huh,” Maze grumbled.

 

“No,” she said, almost sounding like she meant it. “They’re cute. And it’s sad, you know. They should have some time alone.” The toe of a sneaker dug against the concrete. “I just wanted to thank you. That’s all. For saving my life.”

 

Maze shrugged and pursed her lips. “No big deal.”

 

“In that… I would’ve _died_ if you hadn’t gotten me away from that poison mist. Kinda a big deal for me.” Eve let out a short laugh. She kicked off her sneakers, rolled up a pair of yoga pants that had probably been in Lucifer’s lost and laid box, and sat at the edge of the pool.

 

Maze stared down at Eve. She looked back at the house and considered braving the mushiness inside. “I have to go back,” she said bluntly.

 

“Go back? Where?” Eve looked up with wide, Disney Princess eyes.

 

“We both do. Me and Lucifer. I stayed last time because Lucifer told me it was my choice, but he hoped I’d stick around to look after Charlie. And Chloe. And Trixie.” Maze tilted her head back to take in the stars. “But things are complicated down there. He’s _going_ to need back-up.”

 

Maze unzipped her pants, gave them a jerk, and then dropped them on top of her jacket. She wanted to get into that water. “Anyway, I promised Abaddon I’d come back for her.”

 

“Your girlfriend. In Hell.”

 

“Yep. So…”

 

“How long are you gonna be gone?” Eve pulled her legs up and hugged her knees to her chest.

 

“Who knows? Until the unwashed, multi-legged masses can behave themselves, maybe? Couple hundred years at the very least.” Maze stood there in her panties and tank top, staring at the pool. The fading light of the day reflected in the gently undulating water.

 

“I get it.” Eve’s voice had deepened. She stood and turned to leave.

 

“You forgot your shoes.”

 

Eve sighed and leaned over to grab them. Maze turned and grabbed her wrist. Eve furrowed her brow and stared at her in confusion.

 

“I can’t just ghost Abby,” Maze spat out. “She’s been through too much crap for that. And I have no idea when I’ll be back.”

 

“So it’s a when? Not an if?”

 

“Time goes fast in Hell, but... It could still be a really long time,” Maze explained. She let Eve go. “Before Lucifer’s last ‘vacation,’ he didn’t come up for _decades_.”

 

“Oh.” Eve sucked in her lower lip and stepped closer to Maze.

 

“Look, it sucks, but—“

 

Eve’s strong, delicate hands cupped Maze’s face. “Are demons… _exclusive_ when they’re in Hell?”

 

“What?” Maze laughed. “Of course not. We’re _demons_.”

 

Eve gave a single nod. Then, suddenly, she was kissing Maze. Soft lips overwhelming her with gentle, demanding little kisses. Everything about it caught Maze by surprise. When they’d pretended before, the kisses had been heated and sloppy; now they were simply oozing with sensuality. This was it. This was EVE.

 

With her hands grasping Eve’s sides, Maze asserted herself, deepening their kisses as she felt her way over the smooth sweetness of Eve’s flesh. Those yoga pants had to go, and soon they’d dropped to the ground, and Maze had Eve’s pert behind in hand and her leg wrapped around Eve’s.

 

A moment later, the two of them toppled into the pool. Eve’s laugh pealed through the evening air, and Maze pulled her close again, staring into her eyes with an intensity.

 

“When, not if,” Maze vowed, taking in Eve’s beaming smile before moving in to kiss her again.

 

* * *

 

Chloe was torn. Part of her wanted to stay here with Lucifer as long as she could. Another part of her wanted to slip off to wherever Trixie was with Michael to check that her daughter was safe.

 

So. To be fair. Sandalphon had been an absolutely despicable person. The things he’d done were unforgivable in her eyes, and if there were a possible parallel to a human doing what he’d done? Abduction of adults and a minor, multiple accounts of aggravated assault and rape of a sibling, probably theft of frozen ova from somewhere, treason. Chloe would have ensured that person would locked up in jail for the rest of his natural life.

 

But Sandalphon wasn’t a human. And what he’d done had gone on for much longer and had larger impacts than even those human crimes could possibly ever have had. Even so… As frightening and cruel as Sandalphon was…

 

Michael himself was _beyond_ terrifying. What had gone through her mind watching Michael enact Sandalphon’s “punishment”… the way he’d done it. That speech. There was still that small part of her, the merely human part, that realized _exactly_ how much of _nothing_ she was despite standing by the Devil’s side to support him after he’d been injured and bearing witness to a truly _Biblical_ sentencing for a crime…

 

That part of her was terrified to have her daughter near the Archangel. Logically, she could step outside herself and realize that _someone_ had to do _something_ about Sandalphon, and he couldn’t just be thrown in jail. And yet Michael was fearsome in a way that Chloe hadn’t expected. It took everything she had not to revert back to where she’d been the first time she’d seen Lucifer’s face.

 

When Lucifer held up a finger to answer his phone, Chloe was tempted to go grab her daughter and keep her away from the only angel who could literally shake reality apart. She watched for a moment as Lucifer slipped away, sorting out the details of something he’d put into motion. It didn’t sound shady or sexual, so she wasn’t prepared to pay too much attention.

 

“Just use the same picture. I doubt anyone would notice,” he said.

 

Chloe stared down at her hands. Just as she was preparing to get up, Linda sat next to her.

 

“How are you doing? I know the last few days have been incredibly difficult for you.” Linda shook her head. “I know I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if Sandalphon had taken Charlie.”

 

“Well.” Chloe nodded and gestured to Linda with one hand. “You’ve been through this before.”

 

“So have you, haven’t you?”

 

“Not with an angel.”

 

“No…” Linda sighed. “For me, the last time was a demon. But I was referring to Malcolm Graham.”

 

Chloe pressed her hands together over her lips and shook her head. “How many times can she go through this? Can she ever be _okay_? I just… It’s so much, and she’s still _just a little girl_.”

 

“I think as long as she has support and is able to talk about how she feels.” Linda paused. “And she does have Michael, since he has no plans to head home. I can’t say I completely understand what happened, but he seemed to know how she was feeling while she was captured. He sensed she needed him just a little bit ago when she had…” Linda waved a hand in the air. “Whatever that was.”

 

“That scares me, too,” Chloe admitted, lowering her voice. She knew how touchy Lucifer got about her ability to process and accept all of this. “What _is_ that? And will it go away?”

 

Linda held up her hands. “That’s beyond me. Maybe you and Michael should have a talk, later, when everyone’s rested. He doesn’t seem concerned about it anymore, though. That’s probably a good sign.”

 

Chloe sagged over, covering her forehead with her hand.

 

“I’m not sure she could be any safer at the moment,” Linda continued. “Apparently Sandalphon couldn’t even get _near_ Charlie when Michael was with him. And most of their siblings seem to be intimidated by him.”

 

“And for _good reason_ ,” Chloe muttered.

 

“Right. I’m glad I didn’t see that, actually.” Linda crossed her arms and looked over at the monitor. Charlie had been put down in the library to sleep, and he’d been very quiet, but Linda kept sneaking off to check on him.

 

“I could never have imagined…” Chloe closed her eyes. “His voice was _so calm_.”

 

“They are complicated.” Linda glanced over at Lucifer. “But.” She bobbed her head from side to side. “They’re still _people_. Several with disrupted adolescence. All with complicated familial relationships. And in Michael’s case, _severe_ trauma. On that level, it makes sense to me.”

 

Chloe nodded. She didn’t know if that made her feel better that her daughter was somehow connected to the Archangel, but it helped to remember Michael was the same battered, skittish man she’d mistaken for Lucifer not so long ago in his penthouse.

 

She rose, determined, and headed down the hallway. The house was big enough, and she’d only been here once before, but the rooms were large, and there were only so many doorways. Moreover, the bedroom door was still halfway open.

 

With a light touch, Chloe inched the door open wider, until she could see the soft light from the nightstand glowing over the bed. The tension partially seeped out of her shoulders at the sight of them there together. Their heads were bowed together, and Michael was most definitely asleep. She wasn’t sure if Trixie was.

 

Chloe jumped a foot when a hand touched her shoulder. She turned and glared the second she realized it was Lucifer. His brows shot up defensively, and Chloe pursed her lips and stepped away from the door. Very briefly, Lucifer peered inside, and then he headed down the hallway.

 

“Come with me. They’re fine.”

 

Chloe hesitated, but… Lucifer knew Michael better than anyone. She took a tense breath and followed Lucifer. Why in the world did he need such a huge extra house? He hardly ever stayed in these places, and he had a handful of them, here and there. She supposed she should give him credit for being able to juggle his finances when he was only on Earth every couple of decades. The thought made her stomach clench.

 

Lucifer led her into a large room with a long row of floor to ceiling windows. And, of course, a piano in the middle of the room

 

Of course.

 

Chloe dipped her head, smiling as Lucifer took her hand and led her inside. The last light of the day had faded, and through the wall of windows only came the faint glow of the distant city lights.  Lucifer stepped inside and snapped his fingers, causing a smattering of candles around the room to flicker to life.

 

Her eyes fluttered, and her jaw dropped open slightly. With a blink, Chloe realized that if she’d seen this just a year or so ago, she would have brushed it off as one of Lucifer’s tricks, his oddities. Denied wholly that he was an angel, and he had abilities she couldn’t dream of.

 

“Sorry.” Lucifer’s brows knit together. “Too much?”

 

Chloe clicked her tongue. “After today?” She shook her head. “This is a parlor trick.”

 

“ _Parlor_ trick?” Lucifer huffed.

 

“Fine. It’s romantic. A little cheesy, but romantic.”

 

Lucifer rolled his shoulders back. “Just a bit of telekinesis, that’s all.”

 

Chloe frowned. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

 

“You’ve seen me open doors and handcuffs and start cars all without a key, haven’t you?” Lucifer drifted toward a table with two glasses and a bottle of wine.  

 

“I never thought about that.”

 

“Granted, it’s always a bit easier when all I’ve to do is cause a spark.” He winked broadly.

 

Chloe sucked in her upper lip, fighting a smile.  Self-denial was a powerful thing. Being a detective, she should have caught onto that.

 

Lucifer popped the cork and poured a glass. “Doesn’t come off as a big show, the way it does in Hell, but it was never one of _my_ gifts to begin with. I picked it up from Abaddon.” He handed it to her. “Abby. Big sis and the second born angel.”

 

“I see.”

 

The light flickered around them, and Lucifer sat at the piano, setting the bottle of wine and his glass on top. There were so many questions Chloe wanted to ask him. About his siblings. About what had happened down in Hell before he’d come back up. And maybe something a bit closer to the truth, this time, because Lucifer _wasn’t_ entirely in control of himself, him emotions, the devilish mask that overtook him when he hurt too much.

 

His fingers began to lithely slide across the keys, creating an upbeat melody that sounded familiar but Chloe couldn’t place right away. It didn’t belong on the piano, she thought. Something he’d adapted.

 

“Go on and close the curtains,” Lucifer sang, looking up at her with a Cheshire grin. “’Cause all we need is candlelight.”

 

“Ah.” Chloe nodded and sighed. “90s jams. Candles. Got it.”

 

“You and me, and a bottle of wine—“ He lifted his chin toward the bottle. “To hold you to night, oohhh yeah…”

 

Chloe couldn’t help but smile as she sipped her wine, a bold red with some dark earthy undertones (just the kind Lucifer would have on hand, apart from champagne which she hated), and she leaned against the piano as she watched him. His voice was better than it had any right to be. It seemed like the only true story about the Devil involved his love of music. He’d probably gone down to Georgia just to literally and figuratively fiddle around.

 

“Well, we know—“ Lucifer sang, his voice as deep and rich as the wine,”—I’m going away. And I wish—“ His voice grew thinner, practically brittle. “—I wish it weren’t so.”

 

Lucifer pressed his lips together and halfheartedly tried to bully through the next line. “So take this wine and drink with me…  Let’s…”

 

His fingers stilled, and he looked away. He knew the words, of course. His jawline tensed. Then, forcing a smile, he turned to her and said with too much cheer and shining eyes, “So sorry. Was trying to make a moment, there.”

 

Chloe blinked slowly. Oh, there was a moment coming for them. She’d felt it coming from the second she’d seen him again. For real, in his penthouse, when she’d denied him a drink. They’d only had a few days. Less than a week, even, and those days had been filled with terror and chaos. She picked up his glass and sat next to him on the bench.

 

“So take this wine and drink with me,” she sang to him, barely finding the melody. “Let’s delay our misery.”

 

Lucifer frowned, in that way of his where his lips didn’t seem to realize his eyes were troubled. Such was his inclination to cover everything with a smile. Chloe reached up and touched his cheek.

“Stay tonight.” Chloe had given up trying to carry the melody and just said the words to him as he drank his wine and tried to recover. “And fight the break of dawn. Come tomorrow, you’ll be gone.”

 

“Detective… I…”

 

“It’s a good moment,” she said quietly. She looked away, feeling tears stinging her own eyes. “I knew… I knew it had to happen. That you’d have to go back. I’m not going to beg you to stay this time, but… Do you have to go so _soon_?”

 

“I’ve already been gone for too long. Abby and the others may be able hold things down for a little bit, but…” Lucifer swallowed, and he shook his head. “Matters are rather precarious there, these days. And that’s my fault.”

 

“ _Stop_.” Chloe shot him a scolding look. “You can’t blame yourself for _everything_ bad that happens. And I know you feel that this whole mess was your fault, and that it’s on your shoulders, personally, to keep the demon masses from taking over Earth and rogue angels from causing chaos, but you’re _not_ the only angel around. Just because other people put all that on you doesn’t mean you should.”

 

“I—“ Lucifer clicked his tongue and looked up. “I know. You’re right. We’ve had this talk when I was a bit redder… and _crispier_.” He spread his hands. “Who else is to blame this time? Hell is _my_ responsibility.”

 

“Maybe. But apparently you have dozens of brothers and sisters—“

 

“Hundreds.”

 

“ _Hundreds_. Couldn’t _one_ of them have stepped in?”

 

“Doubt there’s a single angel who could’ve kept the demons under control for all that long. Well.” Lucifer shrugged his head to the side. “Michael could have, but for obvious reasons—“ He swallowed and tightened his jaw. “—he wasn’t available.”

 

Chloe didn’t want to get into it. It was too soon, too raw for Lucifer to keep thinking about what had happened to his brother. But if a few of their other siblings had stepped up, there was a good chance Michael might have been rescued sooner. She took a long drink of her wine and set the empty glass on top of the piano.

 

“You’re staying the night, though, right?”

 

“That was the plan. I have to get a few more things in order. But…”

 

“I know.” Chloe looked down at the keys. She tested one note, then the other.

 

Then, she began playing the opening chords to “Save Tonight.” She’d gotten through the first four or five, and then looked up at Lucifer, whose eyes had lit up so brightly Chloe half-imagined they took on a celestial glow of their own. He leaned in to play the melody with her.

 

It was so _simple_ , but it made him so damn happy. She’d picked back up with her lessons, never knowing if she’d even see him again. A lot of it had come back quickly, but she certainly wasn’t good. It didn’t seem to matter to him. It took a few tries to get through the song, and when she faltered, Lucifer guided her finger to the right keys and they picked right back up where they’d left off. A shaky but persistent melody, together.

 

Once they reached the end, Lucifer took her hand and looked into her eyes. Funny, to see him so speechless.

 

“Are you _really_ gonna be okay down there? I know you have to… ‘calibrate’ or whatever, but do you have _anyone_ to help you get through it?” Chloe asked.

 

“You,” Lucifer said simply.

 

“I’m _here_. You’re _there_ ,” Chloe argued. “You need more than that.”

 

“When I feel like I’m losing myself,” he admitted, slowly, “I think about that night on the balcony. I think about how much I love you… Chloe. And how much what’s here on Earth means to me. And I get through it.”

 

“It’s not fair,” her voice wavered. Chloe cupped his cheeks in her hands and leaned forward.

 

“Not a bit fair!” Lucifer laughed softly.

 

“Then.” Chloe’s chest felt tight. She bit her lip as she looked into his dark eyes. “Tell me you’ll try to get back. If not for a real vacation, at least for a couple of days at a time to see us.”

 

“I—“

 

“Just tell me you’ll _try_. I’m up here. Michael’s up here, and he might need you, and Amenadiel and Charlie. And your _therapist_. You haven’t been to therapy in six months our time, Lucifer. I don’t even want to think about how long that is _down there_. No one goes from intense self-loathing to perfectly fine in a day, not even the Devil.” Chloe stopped. She didn’t want to keep making his eyes look like that.  “Say you’ll _try_.”

 

Lucifer opened his mouth halfway, then closed it and swallowed.

 

Because he didn’t like to lie. And this was not in his control to promise. Chloe reached up to kiss him, feeling his whiskers against her cheeks. He was so warm, so real.

 

“Is there more than one bedroom in this house?” she asked.

 

Lucifer raised a brow. “Ah, well, upstairs—“

 

Chloe took the wine in one hand, and Lucifer in the other and led them out of the room. They had the night. If nothing else, they had that much.


	17. Not Malificient, But Persephone

Lucifer’s house in the hills had hosted orgies with fewer people staying over for breakfast. When he woke, Lucifer could hear everyone downstairs, and it occurred to him that soon, there would be deliveries arriving, and he wouldn’t be able to put off the inevitable any longer.

 

Glancing down to his chest, he could see blond hair spilling over his shoulder and Chloe’s head resting on his chest. Last night, they had talked. For a very, very long time. He answered questions and told stories, and they never made it back downstairs to have dinner with the others.

 

Once they’d started kissing again, there was no stopping. He’d felt his way over her strong, supple limbs, and Chloe had settled herself in his lap, demanding his full attention. Any worries he’d had about his siblings or Hell or Earth scattered from his mind, and his whole world had narrowed to the woman in front of him. Her strength, her scent, her kindness and gentleness.

 

And it had been different, as things progressed. Lucifer hadn’t known that things in that area could surprise him anymore! Most of the time, he diverted himself with pretty men and women and everything in between, with nothing more on his mind than how to best please them, leaving the reeling from a night (or morning, or afternoon, or three day orgy) they’d never forget.

 

Chloe was… Well, she was forceful, and he let her be so. She was attentive, and he let her be. And then, before he knew it, it wasn’t about calculating the best way to please her. They were simply moving together, pressing against each other as one, as though they couldn’t get close enough.

 

Lucifer stroked his fingers through Chloe’s hair.

 

“I love you, Detective,” he murmured.

 

Not fair. Not a bit fair.

 

They stayed that way for some time, until Chloe began to stir, and he smiled at her when she glanced up sleepily. She blinked a few times, then widened her eyes and sat up, trying to comb her hair with her fingers.

 

“Oh, no need for that. You’ve seen me worse,” Lucifer said.

 

“No bedhead if you have no hair,” Chloe said. Then her eyes bulged, and she looked up and cringed. “I didn’t mean that.”

 

“I didn’t know we were at the point of joking about it.” Lucifer glanced out the window. Goodness, he would miss the sun. Sunrises, mostly. And sunsets. And how it felt on your skin.

 

“Are we?” Chloe positioned herself by the pillows and petted his hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

 

“I’m not thrilled about it. I haven’t exactly reached the level of #BodyPos that I’d be hanging around in a speedo in my Dev-bod.”

 

Chloe frowned and turned his head to kiss his lips gently. “It honestly only bothers me anymore because I know how connected that is to you being in pain. And I don’t want that for you.”

 

“That…. Right.” Lucifer drew his brows together. “Well, I am quite the work in progress.”

 

“Hm. Same.” Chloe moved her hand down his chest. “I’m _really_ glad we got to talk.”

 

“Is that _all_ you’re glad about?” Lucifer pressed.

 

“Hm.” Her lips curled up just slightly at the corners. “Glad is _not_ the word.” Then, she grinned. “I hope we didn’t get you pregnant.”

 

Lucifer scoffed. “That’s not going to _happen._ ”

 

Chloe laughed and reached down to squeeze his hand. “It was…” She shook her head. “It was beyond words. I hope _I_ measured up.”

 

“I’ve never had it quite that way.”

 

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “There’s a way you _haven’t_ had?”

 

“Are you slut shaming me? Might as well, I guess. I have been quite the very, haven’t I?” Lucifer shook his head. “No, it… it’s just _different_ with you. It…” He paused, unable to articulate exactly how that was. Would she want to hear exactly how? Finally, he just settled on something quite true: “It meant a lot to me.”

 

Chloe kissed him again and pressed her forehead to his. “Me too.”

 

A loud rapping on the door startled them both, and Lucifer stretched his arms over his head as Chloe looked around for her bra and pants.

 

“Mom?” Trixie called. Just as she opened the door, Chloe ducked into the bathroom.

 

“Hello, urchin,” Lucifer said cheerfully.

 

Trixie’s eyes went round, and her mouth opened wide in delight. “Oh my God!”

 

Lucifer heaved a sigh. “I _promise_ you, he had _nothing_ to with it.” He sat up with the blankets nestled around his waist. “Mind?” he said, gesturing to the discarded pants.

 

“Lucifer!” Chloe hurried out, dressed as neatly as humanly possible for the quick turnaround. “Morning, monkey!”

 

“Morning, Mom.” Trixie picked up the pants and tossed them to Lucifer. “Linda and Eve are making breakfast.”

 

“That’s great,” Chloe said, her voice a little too high.

 

“Mm-hm, mm-hm.” Trixie twiddled her fingers in a wave. “I’ll see you guys downstairs.”

 

When she’d gone, Lucifer sputtered a laugh as he pulled his pants on. “Clever little imp.”

 

“I could’ve broken that to her better,” Chloe muttered, pulling her hair back.

 

“It’s fine. She’s sharp.”

 

“Oh, she is. She knew how upset I was about your leaving the first time, no matter how much I tried to convince her it wasn’t about that.” Chloe paused. “And I’m pretty sure she had most of this figured out on some level _long_ before I did.”

 

“When you’re young, it’s easier to accept. Or I assume. I was never really young.” Lucifer came over to her and touched her shoulder gently.

 

“That’s impossible.” Chloe scoffed. Then her brow creased as she thought about it. “There had to at least have been a time when you were _new_. When you and Michael were looking at the freshly made planets and stars?”

 

“True, I suppose. But, if so, your daughter is far more resilient than I ever was, even as a freshly-minted Lucifer. I’m going to grab a shower, if you don’t mind. I’ll be back down in a bit. You go get breakfast, eh?”

 

Chloe nodded and squeezed his hand before she left.

 

* * *

 

As Chloe made her way downstairs, she tried not to worry about what was going through Lucifer’s head. But in hers, she was running through a to-do list that she could only imagine had to be in his. He had to get cleaned up. He had to tie up loose ends. He had get back to work. It was even worse this time, his leaving. Because now there was the build up to the actual goodbye. And because now Chloe had to try to be strong for him and not make this any _worse_.

 

She caught up to Trixie in the hallway in front of the kitchen, and Trixie slowed down to walk with her, grinning so widely that it probably hurt her cheeks.

 

“ _Okay_ ,” Chloe said. “I know you saw enough to figure out what happened last night. So if you have any questions, I can answer them.”

 

“Yeah, I have a question! What took you so long?”

 

“Hm.” Chloe stopped and crossed her arms. “Well. Partially the fact that Lucifer and I are… very _different_ people.”

 

“You aren’t _that_ different,” Trixie said. “Marcus was as boring as the rocks he collected. He didn’t even _study_ them the way Carly from the unit across from ours does. And you were about to _marry_ him after dating for a few weeks. Gross.”

 

“It was a little longer than that, and…” Chloe pursed her lips. “Anyway, there was a bad set of decisions that led to even dating him.”

 

Trixie crossed her arms, too.

 

“After everything you’ve seen, it doesn’t bother you? Me and Lucifer?” Chloe asked.

 

“No. I’ve known him a long time. The first thing he ever did was make a girl who was bullying me confess what she did. And he helped you and kept you safe.” Trixie shrugged. “I know who he is, but… I knew who Maze was, too. I think there’s a difference between someone _being_ dangerous and someone being… what’s that word? Mal… Having bad intentions.”

 

“Malicious.”

 

“Right. I kept thinking Maleficent. But Lucifer isn’t Maleficent. He’s more like… Persephone.”

 

Chloe raised her brows. “Oh?”

 

“Yeah. Because he has to go live in the underworld sometimes.” Trixie pinched her lips to the side. “He’s gonna come back, right?”

 

“I dunno, monkey,” Chloe admitted. “I’m hoping he can, but he can’t make promises. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen, and it’s too dangerous for him to just stay until something comes up.”

 

Trixie nodded solemnly. Then, she leaned in to give Chloe a tight hug.

 

“I’m sorry Lucifer has to go.”

 

“Me too.” Chloe wiped her cheek and sighed.

 

When they went into the kitchen, Amenadiel had Charlie in his arms, and Linda and Eve were putting plates together. Maze stood on her own, swinging her knives around until she spotted Trixie and a guilty expression crossed her face.

 

“Morning!” Eve called. “Do you like eggs, Trixie? We can also make pancakes. Amenadiel got lots of stuff at the store.”

 

“Eggs are good,” Trixie came up to the kitchen island and sat on a stool.

 

“Morning!” Eve called again as she put a plates in front of Trixie and Chloe.

 

Chloe looked back, expecting Lucifer. Close, but not at all. It was Michael, who was still wearing a large, long-sleeved shirt, but had shaved his face clean, making the distinction between him and Lucifer even starker.

 

“Morning, Trouble. What have you gotten into today?” he asked with a warm, fond smile.

 

“Mostly just breakfast so far. But I’ll see what trouble I can get into later.” Eve bounded over to him and led him up to the bar. “We have all the things. Let’s start with yogurt.”

 

Michael raised a brow skeptically, but didn’t argue. He sat beside Trixie and gave Chloe a nod. A moment later, Ella came in, flanked by the younger angels, who all collected around a breakfast nook by the windows.

 

“Do you three have any breakfast preferences?” Linda asked.

 

“Human food is not for celestials,” Remiel said.

 

Azrael rolled her eyes. “Hit me up with some pancakes, Miss Linda. It’s been a long night for me.” She glanced to Duma. “Him, too.”

 

Linda smiled at them and pointedly refused to look at Remiel. Chloe raised her brows to Trixie, who grinned. She’d raised her daughter not to be rude. Unfortunately, it seemed like most angels had raised themselves or their younger siblings.

 

“Someone delivered these to the door,” Ella said, putting a series of thick packets on top of the island counter.  “For Lucifer, I guess?”

 

Breakfast proceeded fairly calmly, helped perhaps by Remiel’s silence, since she appeared to be waiting for something and not engaged with the conversation around her. Duma stayed near Azrael and Ella, and Eve drifted over to Maze after she’d finished cooking and curled her pinkie around Maze’s, tilting her head toward her as they talked.

 

Trixie nudged Chloe with her elbow.

 

“Yeah, I see,” Chloe said quietly.

 

Eventually, Lucifer entered the kitchen, freshly coiffed and dressed. He checked his cufflinks on the way in and surveyed the room. Chloe looked up at him, hoping this wasn’t it, but knowing it probably was.

 

“Ah!” He touched Michael’s shoulder and picked up the delivered packets. “One of these is for you.”

 

“For me?” Michael glanced up at him.

 

“If you’re determined to stay here, you have to prove you’re a legal person. A pinch of prevention, since you’ll need the papers for her once she’s born, too.” Lucifer opened the first packet and handed Michael a driver’s license and a phone. “The rest is in here. You can fill out the birth certificate for the spawn later, and I’ve put the house in your name.”

 

“I…” Michael stared at the license, then looked up at Lucifer incredulously. “ _This_ house?”

 

“Well, I’ve no plan for you to be homeless. You don’t _have_ to stay here, but in the event you need a place a bit away from the city. There’s plenty of room, and it’s close enough to everyone else,” Lucifer explained.

 

“Michael’s gonna live with us,” Trixie informed him.

 

Chloe cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, _when_ was this decided?”

 

“This is her idea,” Michael said. “The only real benefit to you is that I can keep an eye on her until we know she can control the additional celestial energy she’s generating.”

 

Chloe’s heart jumped into her throat. “What?”

 

“It’s _fine_ , Mom,” Trixie said. “Michael can teach me how.”

 

Michael looked at Chloe so politely and apologetically that it was difficult to be mad at him. She was about to say she’d think about it, but catching the expression on Lucifer’s face, Chloe realized a very close second benefit would be that Lucifer would know for sure that someone was keeping an eye on his brother.

 

“You’re welcome to stay. We have an extra room,” Chloe conceded.

 

“Either way,” Lucifer said as though it were all the same to him, although he was clearly relieved. “All your papers are here, along with numbers to my lawyer and you can ask him any questions you have.”

 

Trixie took the phone from him. “I can set this up for you and put all our numbers in it.”

 

“This is all… very kind.” Michael stood next to Lucifer and clasped his shoulder. “Thank you.”

 

Lucifer shrugged. “You said you wouldn’t be going back to the Silver City, and you’re not coming back to Hell with me for damn sure.” He cringed. “No pun intended. Might as well get you settled in here for a bit.”

 

He glanced over to Chloe, his brows knitting together.

 

“So… is this it?” Maze asked.

 

“Can’t you stay longer?” Trixie asked.

 

“We all must return to our duties,” Remiel said sternly.

 

Maze glared at her and came over to Trixie. “Look. I’ve already talked to Amenadiel and Linda and Eve, but… I’m going down to Hell for a while to help.”

 

Trixe’s mouth opened slightly, but then she closed it, her lower lip pushing out just a bit. “Okay. A little while, so…? For how long?”

 

“Dunno. But the way I figure it, at least a few months your time,” Maze said, her voice uncharacteristically gentled. “So until then—“

  
“I’ll keep an eye on Mom. And Michael.”

 

“And maybe Eve, too.” Maze gave Eve a wink.

 

“Right!” Lucifer shook his head and handed Eve the second packet. “This was meant to get to you last time. Apparently missed a signature in my rush to hold back the demon hordes.”

 

Eve frowned and opened it, pulling out a key. “Oh.”

 

“ _Oh_. Just, in case you need it,” Lucifer said evenly.

 

Chloe raised a brow. What was that?

 

Eve’s large eyes looked at him sadly. She came over and gave him a tight hug.

 

“Ah! Okay.”

 

“Just _take_ it,” Eve ordered.

 

Chloe lowered her head. The longer this went on, the harder it was. He was about to walk out the door, and who knew when she’d see him again? At least he would have Maze down there. The last thing she had wanted was for Lucifer to be alone in Hell.

 

“Now?” Azrael asked.

 

Chloe looked up, expecting to see wings out. Instead, Azrael and Duma were stepping up to Lucifer as well. More hugs?

 

“It’s good Maze is going down there with you, Lu,” Azrael said, “but we think there needs to be a stronger angel presence, especially since the other Fallen aren’t ready to step up for that yet.”

 

“You’ve got other, more important things to do, sis, than babysit me,” Lucifer told her.

 

“Yeah, duh.” Azrael made a face. “I’m not the one coming with you.”

 

“I am,” Duma said in a soft, raspy voice.

 

Lucifer’s brows shot up. He stared at Duma for a moment, but before he could say anything, Remiel rushed up to him.

 

“Brother! Your vow! You’ve forsaken your calling!” she admonished. “Our father’s will!”

 

“I’ve contemplated long enough,” Duma told her. “This is how I serve now.” He glanced up at Lucifer. “If… you don’t mind?”

 

“Well, I dunno, now that you’re so damn chatty,” Lucifer said. He put a hand on his hips, considering it. “If you’re absolutely sure. It’s no bloody vacation spot down there.”

 

“It’s warm enough,” Duma said dryly.

 

Remiel’s face had gone completely blank. Like she’d malfunctioned. “Am I meant to go back to the Silver City _alone_? What do I _do_?”

 

Duma’s brow furrowed, and he pressed his palms together as he met her eye. Remiel’s frown deepened, and she nodded sharply.

 

“You are right, brother. Gabriel will need a hunter in the Silver City to seek out any further corruption. I will go.” She looked to Amenadiel and then Azrael with a nod. “Brother. Sister.”

 

And then, in a sudden whoosh of wings, she was gone.

 

“She’s such a delight, that one,” Lucifer said sarcastically.

 

Duma smiled and said nothing.

 

Baby-steps, Chloe supposed.

 

“So you’ll be his… back up? Partner?” Chloe didn’t like using that term. “Intern?”

 

“Hell’s intern,” Azrael said, slapping Duma’s arm. “I like that.”

 

Michael turned to Duma. “This is a brave choice, Duma. And a good one. Hell is important psychic real estate, vast and influential on the rest of Creation. Your help, however Lucifer puts you to it, will be quite beneficial for all.”

 

Duma’s gray eyes beamed a little at the praise.

 

“This is…” Michael put his hand on the counter. “Lucifer, I don’t want to be separated from you again so soon. I hope with a little more support, you’ll be able to come visit us. Safely?”

 

Lucifer seemed a bit overwhelmed, but he nodded, and when Michael came closer to him, accepted the embrace.  He spoke, very quietly, into Lucifer’s ear, and Lucifer nodded.

 

When he stepped back, Amenadiel caught his shoulder and grabbed him into a hug a well.

 

“You didn’t even let me say goodbye last time,” Amenadiel said.

 

“Didn’t feel like arguing with you,” Lucifer grumbled.

 

“I’ll save the arguing for _when_ you come visit,” Amenadiel said pleasantly. “I’ll make a list of things we can argue about.”

 

“Right.” Lucifer brushed off the front of his suit. “I um…” He held up a finger. “Give us a moment, and we’ll head out, hm?”

 

He caught Chloe’s eye, and she swallowed, closed her eyes for a second, and then followed him out onto the balcony.

 

Once there, they stood together, the light of the new dawn upon them, in complete silence. What else could they say? What else could they do? The words (the begging) for him not to go caught in her throat, and she squeezed his hands as she pleaded with her own tears not to fall.

 

“Don’t forget me,” she managed instead.

 

“I could never,” Lucifer vowed. He leaned over and kissed her. His lips came to hers filled with need and pain and want, and yet it was still gentle.

 

“Show me?” she asked.

 

He frowned. “Show you what?”

 

“Your other face.” Chloe steeled herself. “I need to remember them both.”

 

Taken aback, Lucifer did nothing for a moment. Then, with a sigh, he complied, and red enveloped his skin, transforming it from smooth and warm to red and scarred, so uneven and twisted that it must cause him pain.

 

He’d left the dragon wings off, but it was enough. Chloe stared determinedly into the hellfire of his eyes and caressed his rough cheek. When she kissed him, she could feel the extra warmth coming off of him, feel how he must be burning inside. But she didn’t pull away. Not until the warmth receded, and when she looked up at him again, the familiar, rich brown was staring back at her. Those little frown-lines that had always been in his forehead, betraying concerns that he played off as though all of life were a game.

 

He was incorrigible. And he was a miracle.

 

And he was hers.

 

“I love you,” she said, still cupping his cheek. “Come back as soon as you can. And let us know whatever we can do to help. Okay? Anything.”

 

“All I can promise is that I will do my best, I will _never_ forget you, and I _will_ remain myself.” He pressed a warm kiss to her forehead. “And I will always love you.”

 

Always was a long time, for someone like him. His wings unfurled, the shining white ones, and she covered her lips. One moment he was there, and the next, he was gone.

 

And she was in tears, kneeling on the balcony for some time before Eve came out and guided her back inside. The other angels had left as well. Eve’s eyes were red, and they sat together on the sofa, catching their breath.

 

“She’ll be back,” Eve said in a peeping voice. “And so will he.”

 

Chloe couldn’t find anything to say. She’d start crying again if she did, so she just nodded.

 

And then, when she’d calmed herself, she went to go wash her face with cold water, and take Trixie, as well as her new celestial energies tutor Michael, home. Then, she’d wait. Because he would come back to her. Chloe wasn’t sure why she was suddenly so confident of that, but it had to be true.

 

After all, no one was quite so stubborn when he set his mind on something as Lucifer Morningstar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still trying to decide whether to do the epilogue as a series of vingettes or one cohesive bit. Hmm...


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